Court backs Dutch file-swapping service

Internet Business News, March 29, 2002

INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

KaZaA, an Internet-based music sharing service based in the Netherlands, has been granted a reprieve by a Dutch appeal court.

Overturning an earlier injunction, the court ruled in favour of KaZaA and against a music rights organisation, allowing the company to distribute its software, according to the BBC. A further appeal may be lodged.

The court ruled that even if users chose to breach the copyright on music and films by uploading copies to the Internet using KaZaA, that was not the company's problem.

KaZaA's Swedish founder noted that the ruling was too late to save the company - most of its assets have been sold - but he said that the decision was "a great victory for our company and the whole technology sector".

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