Fergie's Tech Blog

eDonkey seeks sanctuary

Andrew Orlowski writes in The Register:

The company behind eDonkey, MetaMachine, is getting out of the file sharing business according to its boss Sam Yagan.

Yagan disclosed the news in testimony to Congress, Extreme Tech reports. Yagan said he is responding to a cease-and-desist notice served by the Recording Industry Association of America to several P2P networks.

"I have personally committed to Mr. Sherman – which I reiterate today – that we are in the process of complying with their request," said Yagan. "Therefore I am not here as an active participant in the future of P2P, but rather as one who has thrown in his towel."

Yagan blamed the Supreme Court's June judgement which suggested that a P2P company's copyright liability rested on its intent to infringe. As a consequence, small companies were being forced out of business because they couldn't afford to litigate. As a result, he said, innovation was being stifled and the US economy would suffer.

posted by Fergie @ 9/29/2005 06:06:00 AM