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Google Defends Hotfile (and Megaupload) in Court
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 Tech Week
In February 2011, the MPAA announced a lawsuit against Hotfile, one of the Internets most popular cyberlocker services.
The sites popularity is a direct result of the massive digital theft that Hotfile promotes, the movie industry group said.
Two weeks ago the movie studios asked the court to issue a summary judgment against Hotfile and shut the site down. The MPAA argues that Hotfile is a piracy haven that should not be eligible for DMCA safe harbor protection.
This request didnt go unnoticed by Google, who have now filed an amicus brief in support of the file-hosting site. According to Google, the movie studios are misleading the court by wrongfully suggesting that Hotfile is not protected by the DMCA.
What makes this even more interesting is that many of the arguments made by Google are also relevant to the criminal indictment against Megaupload.
In their brief, Google points out that YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia are able to thrive because they are protected by the DMCA. But, if the MPAA has its way, these and other services will be in serious trouble.
Without the protections afforded by the safe harbors, those services might have been forced to fundamentally alter their operations or might never have launched in the first place, Google writes in the brief.
More & full story here;
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 Tech Week
In February 2011, the MPAA announced a lawsuit against Hotfile, one of the Internets most popular cyberlocker services.
The sites popularity is a direct result of the massive digital theft that Hotfile promotes, the movie industry group said.
Two weeks ago the movie studios asked the court to issue a summary judgment against Hotfile and shut the site down. The MPAA argues that Hotfile is a piracy haven that should not be eligible for DMCA safe harbor protection.
This request didnt go unnoticed by Google, who have now filed an amicus brief in support of the file-hosting site. According to Google, the movie studios are misleading the court by wrongfully suggesting that Hotfile is not protected by the DMCA.
What makes this even more interesting is that many of the arguments made by Google are also relevant to the criminal indictment against Megaupload.
In their brief, Google points out that YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia are able to thrive because they are protected by the DMCA. But, if the MPAA has its way, these and other services will be in serious trouble.
Without the protections afforded by the safe harbors, those services might have been forced to fundamentally alter their operations or might never have launched in the first place, Google writes in the brief.
More & full story here;
Code:
http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/google-defends-hotfiles-right-to-safe-harbour-under-dmca-68045
