Dutch Supreme Court Rules Kazaa File-Sharing Software Is Legal

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 19, 2003 - 4:38am.

Amsterdam -- The Netherlands' Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court's ruling that said the Kazaa file-sharing application is legal and may be freely distributed on the Internet. Dutch music copyright agency Buma Sterma brought the legal action against Kazaa founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, who called the ruling in their favor, "an historic victory for the evolution of the Internet and for consumers." Although the court's ruling does not address individuals who use the file-sharing network, it does absolve the developers of the software that individuals use. Little surprise, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which has waged an all-out war on file-sharing networks, attacked the ruling, saying that it was one-sided and flawed. It also vowed to continue its legal battle in other countries.
http://news.com.com/2100-1027-5129661.html
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20031219.html
http://www.kazaa.com