Petteri Pyyny
4 Jun 2000 19:48
MP3Board.com, one of the biggest MP3 sites in the world, sues RIAA because RIAA has threatened to shut down the site.
MP3Board.com has very popular MP3 search engine and that's what RIAA is now targeting. MP3Board.com says "Copyright laws should not apply to sites like MP3Board.com that simply offer links to other sites, even if those sites offer pirated material."
"We're not Napster. We don't have...MP3 files. We're a mere conduit, like Lycos or Hotbot. What this lawsuit is about is whether a search engine or linking service has an obligation to edit automated links. By going after us, they are basically oppressing free speech for everybody," said attorney Ira Rothken, who represents MP3Board.
...this is going to be very interesting, since MP3 search engines are very popular and also the Big Boys are doing that business, including giants like Lycos and AltaVista. And as we all remember, mp3.lycos.com went through this same path and won in court..