Grokster, the free music-swapping website that prompted a legal battle ending in the US Supreme Court, agreed to shut down its service under a settlement with the US music industry, industry officials said.

 

Grokster will shut down its peer-to-peer (P2P) network that had been accused of massive copyright violations, prompting a lawsuit that ended with the highest US court ruling that it contributed to piracy, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

 

"This settlement brings to a close an incredibly significant chapter in the story of digital music," said Mitch Bainwol, chairman and chief executive of the RIAA.

 

"This is a chapter that ends on a high note for the recording industry, the tech community and music fans and consumers everywhere. At the end of the day, this is about our ability to invest in new music. An online marketplace populated by legitimate services allows us to do just that."

 

The RIAA, which spearheaded the legal effort against P2P networks, said a consent agreement would be presented to court.

 

"The settlement includes a permanent injunction prohibiting infringement -- directly or indirectly -- of any of the plaintiffs' copyrighted works," said the RIAA in a joint statement with the National Music Publishers Association.

 

"This includes ceasing immediately distribution of the Grokster client application and ceasing to operate the Grokster system and software."

 

In June, US Supreme Court ruled networks such as Grokster may be held liable for infringement if they encourage people to make unauthorized copies of copyrighted songs, films or other content. This opened the door for the music industry to pursue damages.

 

"The owners and operators of Grokster -- like numerous other online services all across the globe -- heard nine US Supreme Court justices speak in a unanimous voice -- a voice that was heard loud and clear," Bainwol said.

 

"As the court articulated in no uncertain terms, there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct a business. This settlement makes clear that businesses are well aware when they are operating on the wrong side of that line."

 

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/07/0...7.votz3fp6.html

 

I never used this program, any of you guys used/use it?

 

I laugh at the person who made the quotes I bolded. If he really thinks that, the RIAA is just going to get pwned again.

I thougth Napster was the end to all piracy... :shifty

Hardly a high note for music fans.

 

Grokster doesn't mean much to me but on principle, RIAA needs to learn to back off. I guess they haven't realized they make people want to download more, not scare them away.

Win MX was shut down in September

They better not take Limewire. Hell, Limewire got the music industry 40 something dollars last Friday it wouldn't have had otherwise.

the RIAA is fooling themselves by and large if they think this is going to help them in the end.

 

Then again with newer outlets for distributing music out there...the old time monopolies are not enjoying the same 'freedoms' they once did of being able to dick around with artists.

 

The digital age has been a blessing for the music industry and ultimately a curse for the RIAA because of their age old traditions that they want to hold onto until they die.

Win MX was shut down in September

 

 

I wondered why i couldn't get on it.

I will defend Limewire to any end! Brethren, I beseech you to do likewise! Take up your arms and stand beside me!

I'll repost here a post I made on Redszone on 10/26/05:

 

My favorite file sharing program, Win MX, recently shut down operations.

 

We keep hearing about how copying CDs and movies is taking money away from the artists and those who make the films and compact discs. Yet, where was the outcry when the VCR came out and people could record television shows and movies on video tapes and pass them among their friends and family? Where was the outcry when blank audio tapes came out and the record button was put on cassette players so that listeners could make mix tapes of their favorite songs or copy their tapes for their friends? Was the industry losing money back then? I'm sure that it was, but there was no movement to stop people from copying.

 

Why now is there such a huge demand from the recording and filmmaking industries to stop people from making copies of their products? I'm of the opinion that it is due to the fact that the products have become inferior. What was the last original idea to come out of Hollywood? Who was the last great musical group to hit it big with a unique original sound? We're getting cookie cutter pop stars and remakes of classic films galore these days. Why pay money for a CD when you've already bought one that sounds just like it, or to go to a movie that you saw 20 years ago?

 

When I was downloading music, it was mainly to get rare live recordings not available on disc, or to check out new acts, and on several occasions, I actually went out and bought the CDs of artists that I enjoyed. But I'm not going to go pay for an entire CD because of the one song I heard on the radio. And I'm not going to go see the latest remake of The Fog when I can just rent the original and watch it in the comfort of my own house.

 

I don't really feel that bad about it, because the people who make the most money off of the sales of the CDs and movie tickets are the people who make the decisions to release the crap that is coming out today. The artists make most of their money in touring and endorsements. Almost everyone in the entertainment industry makes more money than I do.

 

When I can see originality and fresh sounds, I'll gladly pay my money for it, but I need to know what I'm buying before I empty my wallet.

Actually there was a fairly large outcry when the VCR came out. In fact many corporations were calling it the end of the theater, blah blah blah....

 

Like today, it didn't make much difference then either.

I think savafan touched on one of the elephants in this whole case. Why do people not want to pay for music anymore? Well, because it's free of course. But besides that, it's all the same. And it's not even the good same they're copying.

 

The other day I got on Limewire, downloaded Bat Country which I had heard on the radio, and downloaded The Widow because I heard it was on the same CD L'Via L'Viaquez was on. Twenty four hours later, I came home with City of Evil and Frances the Mute because I thought the music was that original and that good. Now, a week later, I've picked up the other two Mars Volta CDs and I've been searching the web trying to find when the Volta and Avenged Sevenfold will be down in the area again. Does any of this happen without Limewire? Nope.

 

But if you're going to keep putting out crap like what plays on the radio now most of the time, I'm not going to buy it. I'm not going to buy a CD of Scott Weiland trying to be Axl Rose. And I'm not going to buy anything that involves spinning off (and poorly at that) other music I listen to. You sound like Metallica? That's nice, but since I have all the Metallica albums I really have no use for you. Trying to be Led Zeppelin? Nice try, but I've got all of those too. What do I want the cheap knockoff when I can have the real thing?

 

It'll get better soon, though. At least I hope it will.