Record Labels Lose Big as Court Declares File-Sharing Tools Legal

[silicon_toad2000]

http://torrentfreak.com/records-labels-lose-big-as-court-declares-file-sharing-tools-legal-140410/

In 2008, Universal, Sony, EMI, Warner and “Spanish RIAA” Promusicae (Productores de Música de España) joined forces to sue MP2P Technologies, a company created by Pablo Soto, the brains behind Blubster, the “Spanish Napster” file-sharing software.

The record companies said that Soto had designed his Blubster, Piolet and Manolito software with the intent of providing a platform for users to pirate music while he generated profit. This, the labels said, amounted to unfair competition in the market. Soto should pay them 13 million euros ($18m) in damages, the labels argued.

Following years of litigation, in 2011 a Madrid court handed defeat to the labels by declaring Soto’s technology neutral. While his users may have infringed copyright, Soto was not responsible for that, the court said. Furthermore, since Soto wasn’t in the record business and the labels weren’t in the file-sharing business, the unfair competition claim was also dismissed.

After investing so much time in the case, the labels weren’t prepared to concede defeat. The case went to the Madrid Court of Appeals which has just made its decision public. It’s a decisive win for Soto and a big loss for the labels.

“[Soto's] activity is not only neutral, and perfectly legal, moreover it is protected by article 38 of our Constitution,” the Court wrote in its ruling.

[GhostShip]

This is even more good news when you take into account that fact that Pablo suffers from a disability, he has a form of muscular dystrophy which makes him weak, not too weak however to face up to the bullying tactics of the music tax cartel, this case has been dragging on for years and most likely has brought much strain and anguish to this poor guy, justice has been done however and Pablo can now get on with his life and trying to make a living, innovation will always triumph over old style protectionist monopolies, either keep up or get out of the way.