According to the agreement reached with the recording industry, the file-sharing service Grokster will cease providing software that allows users to illegally copy songs starting November 7.
This agreement comes exactly four months after a U.S. court unanimously concluded that Grokster and other P2P networks must be held legally responsible if they assist users in violating copyright laws.
Due to the decentralized nature of most P2P software, it is very difficult to control once it has been released onto the Internet. However, shutting down the “hubs” where users initially download the software may help reduce the influx of new violators.
On Grokster’s website, users can read the statement: “There are many legal music and movie download services available in the market, but this service (Grokster) is not one of them“.
It is expected that Mashboxx LLC will acquire Grokster and transform this P2P network into a legal digital music service that can compete with Apple’s iTunes.
The recording industry believes that rampant online song copying—enabled by Grokster and other P2P networks—is the main culprit behind the unprecedented decline in CD sales over the past five years. More than 7,000 individuals have been sued for illegally copying songs from the Internet.
Two other popular P2P services, WinMX.com and eDonkey, were also shut down last September after receiving warning letters from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Most recently, just yesterday, a man from Hong Kong was sentenced to three months in prison in the first successful prosecution for illegal file sharing.
Cam Thi (According to Reuters)
