P2P United urges Congress to heed Appeals Court advice

P2P United, an organization fighting for the future of P2P decentralised networking, is keeping the pressure on Congress. Recently, the recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Federal District Court ruling that P2P developers do not infringe copyright by developing and distributing their popular software programs. Now, the only hope for copyright holders to stop P2P is to have Congress write tough new laws for their protection.

P2P United has urged Congress to refrain from creating a new set of laws that will turn copyright into a legal weapon. They are arguing that past history has proven, that the open and free market pressures can create a safe and stable environment for all.

Here is what Adam Eisgrau, Executive Director of P2P United had to say about the matter:

While the court acknowledged that only Congress can make the kind of radical change in copyright law that the copyright cartel wanted in this case, it also clearly indicated that having the power to make change does not mean that change should be made. P2P United respectfully urges every Member of Congress to heed the court's strong advice that such radical change would be 'unwise' and, if they read no other part of the Ninth Circuit's opinion, to take the court's following observations to heart: 'The introduction of new technology is always disruptive to old markets, and particularly to those copyright owners whose works are sold through well established distribution mechanisms. Yet, history has shown that time and market forces often provide equilibrium in balancing interests, whether the new technology be a player piano, a copier, a tape recorder, a video recorder, a personal computer, a karaoke machine, or an MP3 player.'

You may point your browser towards Music Industry News, who we thank for bringing this news to our attention, for the whole statement. It's hard to say what will happen in this complex situation, because a lot of money is at stake here. Can investors feel safe contributing to projects knowing that there's a possibility of the works hitting the Internet? They have been. Better yet, who will Congress listen to, the voice of P2P developers and the legal system, or the content providers? Can we expect that time will be given to allow the market to provide the answer, or will we see a hail of legislation from Capitol Hill? Please feel free to add your comments here, or over in the Music Downloads, P2P & Legal Issues Forum.

Source: Music Indusrty News