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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION
FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY /
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Special Features:
STATES WEIGH WARNING TO
PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS
In what could become an escalation in the war against peer-to-peer
networks,
the highest ranking law enforcement officers in the individual states are
preparing to weigh in on the debate over the popular services.
According to a draft letter by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer
that
was obtained over the weekend, the attorneys general want to pressure the
file-sharing networks to clean up their acts.
In the draft, which Lockyer is beginning to circulate among his peers, the
attorneys general express concern about what they see as a series of ills
perpetrated by P2P networks.
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"The growth in P2P file sharing has brought with it increased awareness of
the
risks associated with using these software programs," the letter said.
"Whether the widespread availability of pornography, including child
pornography, the disclosure of sensitive personal information to millions of
people, the exposure to pernicious computer worms and viruses or the threat of
legal liability for copyright infringement, P2P file-sharing software has
proven costly and dangerous for many consumers."
The letter targets the operators of P2P services and is seen by some in
that
industry as an escalation in the battle between the companies, copyright
holders and the government. In it, the attorneys general accuse the companies
of irresponsibly putting people at risk.
"We write to express our growing concern over the risks posed to consumers
in
our states from the use of your company's peer-to-peer ('P2P') file-sharing
software -- and your firm's inadequate response to those risks," the letter
said. "As the chief law enforcement officers and primary consumer advocates
for our states, we share a unique responsibility to ensure our laws are
respected and our consumers are informed about and protected from dangerous
products and services."
Sources with knowledge of the letter said the Motion Picture Association of
America prepared the draft for Lockyer. In the metadata of the e-mailed
version of the letter a "stevensonv" worked on the letter. Vans Stevenson is
the MPAA's senior vice president of state legislative affairs.
"It's pretty heinous that any kind of private-interest group is authoring a
letter for our elected officials," one knowledgeable source said.
While the MPAA received input into the letter's contents, Stevenson said
the
Hollywood lobby group wasn't the author.
"We didn't write it," he said. "Was input sought from us? Yes. And probably
from others as well."
There's nothing unusual about the California attorney general having an
interest in what is going on in the copyright industries, Stevenson
explained.
"We're gratified that Attorney General Lockyer continues to have an
interest
and concern about P2P file-sharing software because of the impact of all the
illegal file copying has on the motion picture and sound recording industries,
the lifeblood of the California economy," he said.
It was unclear when the Lockyer and the other attorneys general would send
the
letter, as sources called it "a work in progress," but it is clear at least
some of the AGs have a problem with the service.
"Over the coming months, we will begin focusing more attention on the risks
P2P software programs pose to consumers in our states," the letter said. "We
hope this inquiry will encourage you to take proactive, concrete and
meaningful steps to address the problems we have raised in this letter. We
believe such actions will help P2P software realize its potential as a means
to facilitate a wide range of project management, business planning and
academic/education activities."
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