In a 34 page decision released this afternoon that surprised many, the entertainment industry at the top of the list, Judge Stephen V. Wilson (Central District of California) “denied a request to shut down Internet song-swapping services Grokster and Morpheus.” The judge wrote, “It is undisputed that there are substantial noninfringing uses for (the) Defendants’ software.” See this Reuters article for more information. Also see RIAA reacts badly to court’s file share ruling which states, “What makes this judgment even more interesting is the implication for ISPs. This judge has effectively ruled that those who have no direct control of the use of their services cannot be held responsible for any misuse of those services.”
From News.com, Are file traders next? the author predicts that this defeat for the music industry will only result in an accelerated effort to sue individuals who have allegedly engaged in copyright infringement using P2P apps.