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Music industry raids Kazaa offices

6 February 2004 5:28 by Petteri "dRD" Pyyny | 13 comments

The anti-piracy subsdiary of Australian Recording Industry Association, called Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI), has raided several companies and universities in Australia, trying to find documents that would prove that they have violated Australia's copyright laws.

Raid were launched after Australian court granted MIPI a search warrant, so-called Anton Pillar order, that allows copyright owners to search premises to find evidence of alleged copyright violations. Raid targeted Sharman Networks (the owner of Kazaa), Telstra (Australia's largest ISP) and several major universities.

MIPI plans to use any documents seized in raids in its court proceedings against the companies it has found violating Australian copyright laws. Regarding to the raid to Sharman's offices MIPI's chief, Michael Speck said "Kazaa has built a large international business through encouraging and authorising the illegal copying of music users of its network. It authorises this copying without seeking the licence or permission of the owners and creators of the music, nor does it pay any royalties to either the owners or creators of the music."

More information:

Australian IT
The Register

Permalink to this article

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Kazaa loses in court (5 September 2005)

Kazaa denies recording industry claims in day 2 of trial (30 November 2004)

Kazaa trial begins (29 November 2004)

Kazaa trial to kick off in Australia on Monday (26 November 2004)

Kazaa labeled top spyware threat (26 November 2004)

Kazaa 3.0 includes Skype (23 November 2004)

Australian court rejects Sharman's appeal (8 October 2004)

Kazaa loses P2P crown to eDonkey (22 September 2004)

Department Of Justice raids P2P users homes (25 August 2004)

Date set for Kazaa vs. MIPI trial (3 July 2004)

Kazaa relies on a 105-year-old ruling (24 May 2004)

Kazaa appeals raid ruling (11 March 2004)

Kazaa loses the first court round in Australia (4 March 2004)

Ruling on Kazaa search orders tomorrow (3 March 2004)

Trade agreement affects Australian copyright laws (updated) (14 February 2004)

The raid was illegal, says Kazaa (10 February 2004)

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GrayArea (Member) 6 February 2004 9:29
Think they found the Weapons of Mass Destruction(TM Bush-Cheney, LLC) that Sharman networks has been stockpiling to blow up child day care centers? This is ridiculous. It is truly sad to me how totally screwed up the priorities and values of our governments, law enforcement, and big business are. [ + quote]
Nephilim (Moderator) 6 February 2004 10:17
Corporate police are a very, very bad thing. [ + quote]
GrayArea (Member) 6 February 2004 11:32
People use P2P software to obtain copies of copyright works. I'm not going to mince words. Sharman Networks software does allow a user to do this. To state that Sharman Networks "authorizes" illegal copying of music is a bald face lie. [ + quote]
nermal (Newbie) 7 February 2004 0:17
So whats next then? Maybe some other anti-piracy group is combing through dvd rental accounts at VideoEzy and Blockbuster checking to see who's rented an above average number of movies lately?? Someone could be working on a search warrant for your house just to see if you've made copies of them! Where does it end?? Just a thought... [ + quote]
jonss (Inactive) 7 February 2004 4:32
There have been a number of news reports about this on our local TV in Australia. They'll find nothing of course but the implications are disturbing. I guess we forgot the 'Golden Rule'. Those who have the gold, make the rules. [ + quote]
pbailey (Member) 7 February 2004 12:33
The implications are definately disturbing, and i'm sure they'll be far reaching for us oz users... And So It Began... Bailey [ + quote]
ascheri (Newbie) 7 February 2004 14:24
I've read something in history that was simular to the MIPI in the forties they called them Nazi. [ + quote]
loboy2001 (Newbie) 8 February 2004 17:34
bullshit its all bullshit america you say home of the free, greatest country in the world , im emberrassed by the way the music industry and goverment is accting on this subject, nobody was bitching when you used to copy a cassett tape or maybe a vhs but know you can put it on a cd or dvd and make it look and sound just as good and they cry, jonnss you said it best "those who have the gold make the rules"! I hope it all backfires on them at the end. [ + quote]
Rodgers (Inactive) 9 February 2004 7:26
I thought the Gestapo was out of business! Best to All! Rodgers [ + quote]
GrayArea (Member) 9 February 2004 12:32
loboy2001, quote> "nobody was bitching when you used to copy a cassett tape or maybe a vhs" Actually at the risk of dating myself, I can tell you, the music and movie industries were bitching LOUDLY about cassettes and home video recorders (it was the Sony Beta format that came out first and was the subject of a HUGE lawsuit). The movie moguls at the time had a PR campaign going that basically said VCRs were a gun to the head of hollywood and if they were allowed the movie industry would surely go out of buisness. Heard it all before. The big problem as I see it is, this time it's not just one technology that is affected, the actions of the copyright "owners" are threatening everyone's privacy, the ability and freedom for people to inovate and invent new uses for the web and consumer electronics (to name a few), and some basic personal freedoms. I'll say it for the umteenth time. THEY WANT TO OWN/CONTROL THE WORLD, and if they are allowed to keep operating in the manner they have so far, THEY WILL. They've already put on the jack boots... [ + quote]
vudoo (Member) 10 February 2004 11:49
slap slap slap these RIAA and MPAA wanna be's will finally learn that the only solution is to join the p2p community and start a file sharing service where the ads actually help to compensate the artists. Until then we will just keep file sharing and the industry will cry like babies and try to start more and more lawsuits and clog the justice system while rapers and child molesters like Michael Jackson room the streets for FREE while the RIAA supports them. Voodoohippie [ + quote]
taranga (Inactive) 5 March 2004 0:38
Quote: and child molesters like Michael Jackson Innocent until proven guilty. [ + quote]
searcher1 (Junior Member) 5 July 2004 15:59
GrayArea,I was also around in the early days and I remember the same things as you. I can't improve on your comments so I won't even try! In fact, All the comments I have read are Unfroutnately All Too Real. I remember when I was a boy and there were only four channels too choose from in the early days of Television, The World was Just coming out of World War II, and 75% of the movies on TV Were about how America And the allies Triumphed over NAZI Domination. [Propaganda For The Masses] In NAZI Germany, everyone needed Papers to travel form town to town, to board a train, And even too walk the streets in order too buy food! Are we Headed In The same Direction With The,WWW.com (A.K.A.) The WORLD WIDE WEB? How soon will it be before we all need a Licence (Papers) too access the Internet? A certain amount of control is expected, even good up too a point. But when it comes too our Freedom as as members of a free society, The line that the MOVIE And MUSIC Industry Is Not Supposed too cross is Behind Them! Freedom is what people have been fighting and dying for since Before recorded History. There are Two things I know too be certain and will NEVER change. (ONE) POWER CORRUPTS, AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY. (TWO) THOSE WHO FORGET THE PAST ARE DOOMED TOO REPEAT IT! [ + quote]