The Berkman Center recently filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the pending Grokster case. Because of evolving technology and the rise of the Internet, entertainment companies have found it harder and harder to protect their copyrighted material from unlawful distribution. The twenty-year old Sony standard, a case decided when video tape recorders were becoming popular, is currently the guiding legal standard and permits technology with potentially infringing uses to be lawfully produced so long as the technology has "substantial noninfringing uses" as well. So, one can purchase a VHS cassette player because one is allowed to record home movies on it, even though one could theoretically also use the player to record copyrighted films rented from the video store. This standard is now in danger of being overturned, and the Berkman Center has rightfully stepped up to defend it.
The Berkman Center brief makes three main arguments. First, that the Sony case struck a balance between the interest in protecting copyright and the interest in encouraging innovation; second, that emerging business models may remedy the economic damage being caused on entertainment companies, making legal action premature; and third, that Congress, and not the Supreme Court, should be the preferred vehicle for implementing changes to copyright law.
These are sensible arguments that the Supreme Court will hopefully follow. The Grokster case has brought to light some interesting divisions within companies due to the ever increasing consolidation among entertainment and technology companies. For example, Sony has both a technology division that produces computers and DVD burners, and an entertainment division that produces films and music. Which side to support?
Even artists are divided on the question. Some artists, such as Metallica, have waged a virtual war on those who use online file sharing services, while other artists, mainly independents, have actively encouarged the sharing of their music in a bid to gain a wider audience.
Silicon Valley wants copyright law to remain just the way it is, while Hollywood and New York want it to grow ever more restrictive. If the Court intervenes it will essentially be choosing sides in a war that should be fought in the marketplace, not in the courts. The Berkman Center proposal is therefore the right way to go.
My wife's father is hessaby as in www.hessaby.com (they stole his cash and put it there) and my mother-in-law family is related by marriage tot the Pakravans., who headed the SAVAKPan Am was nicknamed PanIran as the Shah's family was the largest shareholder. I have extreme amount of details of exactly was going on
from the Iranians wanting him to return their assets to other coup attempts to 6 months before the Shah son pretended he was bankrupt in a public trial, to my wifes relative coming to our house talking about the coup and we did not know they were in Washington DC, to the Iran Contra hearings trial that was going to start Feb 20 th, 1989 to the tipping of the coup to the Iranian govt, ,to something in writing I can prove the coup to the Salamon Rushtie Feb 14th insult to islam to get the people on the street to avoid the coup to the Iranian govt announcement of a coup by 'dissent mullahs' announced at the time to the negiotations between the Bush people involved pretending they were going to make a deal to the 'nice' stories plant in US newspapers at the time (including the Post) as part of the negotation to the fact the bomb had to placed out of London based on the flight path as I worked at USAir at the time creating the flight plans for the 'planes to fly themselves' to overt CIA agents around me at the time to the fact that Bollier, the guy who made the timer for the bomb's wide was IRANIAN and the Libyans told me and said they were not allowed to say... there were 3 witness only.. the main one was trashed.. Bollier and a guy whom said he soldm the Libyan a suitcase in Malta.. hence, one the suitcase guy would be left.. the Libyans did not put up a defence in exchange for evidence to trash the main witness on the stand to what an overt CIA agent told me in the US 4 years later.. etc. etc and the details of several coups to the new World bank (my wie's cousin involved who used to work at the work bank)and US loans starting May 1990 to Iran to the fact that PANAm was shut down 18 months later as they thought it would be targeted again because of the Shah connection (the US airlines go in and out of bankruptcy all the time - this was the one of the first US airlines - an ICON) etc
I also know where the Iranian govt officials have money in the US, Canada and UK; the back door dealing etccall me for details.. Barry Lanza 00 44 1786831554.. My father-in-law was a convicted spy given amnesty