UK court rules illegal file-sharers owe damages for copyright infringement News
UK court rules illegal file-sharers owe damages for copyright infringement

[JURIST] In the first ruling of its kind, the British High Court on Friday ruled that two British citizens accused of illegal file-sharing must pay damages for violating UK copyright laws. The suit brought by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) [official website] is one of 139 actions brought by the trade group [JURIST report] against individuals engaged in file sharing. BPI has thusfar settled a majority of the cases [JURIST report]. In the United States, the recording industry has experienced similar success in its legal battle against file-sharing networks. Following the US Supreme Court's June 2005 decision in MGM v. Grokster [opinion], US file-sharing companies sought agreement with the record industry [JURIST report] in order to limit future legal action. The UK Independent has more.