Copyrighted Material | featured news

Even one of online video's biggest stars isn't immune to copyright claims....

Let’s call a spade a spade: it’s no secret that file hosting service Rapidshare has long been a haven for distributing copyrighted content. However, it’s a question of principle: must a file hosting service, essentially unrelated to the actual content of the files it hosts, also act as a policeman, actively seeking and removing content that violates copyright? German court says – yes.

Four men behind a Swedish file-sharing Web site used by millions to exchange movies and music have been found guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law in a landmark court verdict in Stockholm.

The operators of the Pirate Bay Web site are heroes to some for enabling free access to copyrighted material. This week, a Swedish court will decide whether they are criminals.