[LINK] Fwd: Rapidshare to appeal copyright injunction

[Jan Whitaker]

[Rapidshare is a file sharing service; Germany has gone after them to 
stop this]

>  24.02.10 |  Philip Jones
>
>Internet file-sharer RapidShare has said that it intends to appeal 
>the preliminary injunction imposed on it by a German court 
>preventing it from providing access to 148 copyright-protected works 
>cited in a lawsuit brought by six academic publishers.
>
>In a note sent out to journalists by Katharina Scheid, the company's 
>press spokesperson, RapidShare said the case "boils down" to a 
>discussion about how society balances the need for protection of 
>copyright against the protection of data privacy.
>
>RapidShare added the preliminary injunction had been made without 
>representation from RapidShare. "It is not a trial. Only the 
>accusing party has the chance to describe the situation as they 
>perceive it. RapidShare will have a chance to explain the situation 
>in more detail once we have appealed, which we will," the statement said.
>
>RapidShare added that the case had thrown up a contradiction in 
>German law between measures designed to protect piracy and the law 
>surrounding copyright. Preliminary action as suggested by the judge 
>was not something hosts were entitled to do "since the monitoring of 
>private communication is highly protected by law".
>
>It added: "In the internet age, prevention like pre-emptive control 
>of uploads, naturally leads to the violation of the data privacy of 
>millions of other users, that have not even been suspected of any 
>wrong doing, by monitoring their private communication."
>
>RapidShare said it was currently aiming at getting a decision from 
>the highest court in Germany to resolve the matter and receive clear 
>guidelines.
>
>In terms of obeying the injunction, RapidShare said it was "doing 
>everything we can as we did in the past", but added that it depended 
>on the co-operation of the copyright owners who it said needed to 
>send them links to pirated copy.
>
>-------------------------------------
>http://www.thebookseller.com/news/113643-rapidshare-to-appeal-copyright-injunction.html


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

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~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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