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Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Mon, May 10th 2004 1:13am





Japanese File Sharing System Creator Arrested For Copyright Violation

from the silly-laws dept

For all the complaints we have about bad laws in the US, at least (so far) we've been able to keep from declaring file sharing software (on its own) illegal. That's not the case in Japan, where the creator of a supposedly anonymous file sharing system has been arrested for "abetting the violation of the Copyright Law." Apparently, the fact that such software has plenty of legitimate uses as well doesn't matter. Shouldn't they also be arresting the creators of just about any other technology that can be used to break the law? In this case, they say it made sense because they have evidence that two people used his file sharing program to download illegal files. I think there's plenty of evidence that computers have been used in crimes. They should be arresting everyone who created computers. Plus the internet is full of criminals these days - so the folks who started the internet clearly to be thrown in jail. Just think how many crimes have been committed by people in cars! A pen can be used for both forgeries and to stab someone. Someone ought to be locked up for that. The list is endless. Clearly, no technology at all should be created and anyone who created any technology deserves to be in jail.

4 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Al Gore

    identicon
    aNonMooseCowherd, May 10th, 2004 @ 7:06am

    Does that mean Al Gore should go to jail for "inventing" the Internet? Or for inventing the Al-Gore-ithm, some version of which is no doubt used in file-sharing software?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Devil's Advocate...

    identicon
    Oliver Wendell Jones, May 10th, 2004 @ 8:05am

    So what's the legitimate reason for developing an anonymous file sharing network?

    I can understand a need in a country like China or some place where it's important to maintain anonymity to avoid those late night door knockings, but in Japan?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    No Subject Given

    identicon
    NOBODY, May 10th, 2004 @ 8:53am

    These networks are world wide. Not all countries have the same freedoms of speach that we enjoy here in the united states. And from the look of it, it almost seems like that's going away here do to the war on terrorism and constant regulation by congress. There are many uses for anonymous networks like the one described here.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Must understand the culture

    identicon
    dorpus, May 10th, 2004 @ 9:33am

    In Japan, fashion and pop culture have a different level of meaning from here. It's considered normal for young women to sell their bodies, skip their mother's funerals, whatever, to go to the concert by the latest pop star. Needless to say, media is a lucrative business.

    If this man had been allowed to continue sharing files, men in sunglasses would probably have killed his family or burned down his home, and the police (who are afraid of the mob) would have refused to investigate. The law did him a favor by saving him from certain death.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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