Ares Connect

Perhaps, you may be thinking, that is an overly dramatic title. Maybe not, though, after what could prove to be a landmark case in New York. In the decision – by Judge Kimba Wood – LimeWire and its owner Mark Gorton have been accused of committing copyright infringement. The RIAA brought the case against LimeWire as part of its long-running battle against anything relating to filesharing. This time, though, they seem to have at least got a foothold into something that may lead them somewhere.

Is this likely to effect the rest of the filesharing industry? Well yes, it can’t avoid doing just that. The Judge’s decision to pursue the owner as well as the company itself will cause many entrepreneurs to think twice before embarking on any filesharing venture. The interesting part about this is that the users themselves are likely to be safer, since the RIAA have much bigger fish to fry.

Ares users should rest easily – for now, at least – since the RIAA is unlikely to be able to bring an action against open-source software as easily as it has done with LimeWire. The logistics of pinning the blame on any one variant of Ares, or on any one person as being responsible are mind-boggling. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Sorry, but comments are closed. Check out another post and speak up!