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Red Cross caught up in P2P mess

17 December 2004 10:22 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 11 comments

The Recording Industry will soon ask the Red Cross to freeze a trust fund allegedly controlled by the owners of Sharman Networks, an Australian Software company that owns the Kazaa P2P client. The music industry maintains that Sharman, the maker of the Kazaa peer-to-peer software, is owned by several companies through a trust fund registered in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. The Red Cross is the only beneficiary specifically named in the trust, so the recording industry, which is suing Sharman, is asking the organization to voluntarily freeze the fund until a verdict is reached in the Australian Federal Court.

"We�re preparing our approach to the International Red Cross,� says Michael Speck of Australia�s Music Industry Piracy Investigations, which spearheads the prosecution of accused pirates. "I believe this whole thing will come as a complete surprise to them, and we�re only approaching them to stop them disposing of any funds." A lawyer acting in Sharman�s defense, Mary Still said that the approach the recording industry is taking to such a charitable organization is quite staggering. "It would be incredibly disappointing if we had to sue them," said Speck, a comment that should spark controversy.

The Recording Industry is currently in a legal battle with Sharman networks, trying to convince a judge to rule Sharman liable for damages done to the Recording Industries revenue by use of the Kazaa P2P client. If the recording industry get their way and Sharman are found liable, it seems that the Recording Industry will then sue for damages, which could be a sum possibly in hundreds of millions. The court is also interested in whether Sharman could actually control what is swapped on the P2P network, to try to stamp out the illegal sharing.

Source:
Wired

Permalink to this article

Kazaa gets deadline to filter or shut down (25 November 2005)

Kazaa loses in court (5 September 2005)

Closing arguments heard in Kazaa trial (23 March 2005)

Very important documents reveal Sharman lies (7 February 2005)

Red Cross denies its Kazaa link (18 January 2005)

Sharman lawyer accuses witness of switching sides (8 December 2004)

Witnesses claim Kazaa can filter its network (2 December 2004)

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

Kazaa trial begins (29 November 2004)

Kazaa 3.0 includes Skype (23 November 2004)

P2P case to be tested in Supreme Court? (8 October 2004)

RIAA sued by P2P company for alleged patent infringement (8 September 2004)

Kazaa trademark in trouble in Europe (14 June 2004)

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Toiletman (Senior Member) 17 December 2004 11:09
I'm not trying to flame ANYONE here, but I would just like to point out this is going very far into untested territories. Suing Red Cross? If they do that, that's pretty digusting. [ + quote]
Pop_Smith (Senior Member) 17 December 2004 11:57
Thats the LAST thing a company should do, sue a perfectly innocent, NON-profit group (or a group that helps people that have been harmed by disasters, natural or man made) If they sue the Red Cross, then they will get themselves an even less sized fan base (if they have one at all!) [ + quote]
daemonzx6 (Senior Member) 17 December 2004 14:51
the recording industry is despicable [ + quote]
Ne007 (Junior Member) 17 December 2004 19:49
I'd rather nail my nads to a table than give these greedy bastards money. [ + quote]
scott2453 (Inactive) 17 December 2004 21:19
Just goes to show you how desperate the Recording Industry is becoming. Shame on them for forcing an organization like Red Cross to take sides on an issue like this. [ + quote]
nato1200 (Junior Member) 17 December 2004 23:17
Hmmm. So they want the money frozen, so when they get a civil jugdement against Sharman, they can take the money in that trsust fund. Wouldn't want to give the red cross a chance to use the funds for humanitarian works before they get a chance to take it to use to pay thier legal bills in suing poor people. Somehow, I'll be the music industry could get the world press to classify all of thier actions as "humanitarian." And they say giant corporations are the big satan.... [ + quote]
def&blind (Newbie) 18 December 2004 5:22
It just shows the Evil the RIAA will do to get their precious money. Once the RIAA controls the markets(on their way to world domination), they can start raping peoples wallets again!!! [ + quote]
Nephilim (Moderator) 19 December 2004 19:32
Absolutely sickening. [ + quote]
mookapple (Inactive) 21 December 2004 16:40
self-righteous basterds!!! [ + quote]
daemonzx6 (Senior Member) 21 December 2004 17:13
read here: http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/5888.cfm [ + quote]
WarForOil (Junior Member) 23 December 2004 14:24
Its doesnt really surprise me in the least, those low lifes dont care if hungry babies die, or sick children in war torn countries die because of aid, as long as the green backs fill the pockets of the few..Sadly we allow it to happen, why dont people demonstrate anymore.A few years ago people power won may things most of all our freedom, bit by bit that freedom has been chipped away and we resort to a few words in some forum where it will be read by few...get into the streets demonstrate, boycott and spread the word then perhaps we will turn this globalisation thing on its head and have a fair world economy that benefits all not the chosen few...Peace My Friends [ + quote]