Canadian file-swapping case on hold:
The Canadian Recording Industry Association's bid to force Internet producers to reveal some of the identities of their customers who share music over the Internet is on hold.
Justice Konrad von Finckenstein has adjourned the proceedings in the Federal Court of Canada until March 12, to study the technical requirements of the motion and how it would affect existing privacy legislation.
The Globe's coverage suggests that the intial battle is over privacy rights of Canadian citizens. Canada has no equivalent to the DMCA to allow CRIA to trample all over privacy rights easily, hence the application for a Court Order.
I think its safe to assume that CRIA's goals are the same: obtain names of people to "extort" money from in settlement "negotiations" (read: get a list of people who can't afford to defend themselves, bully them into settling).
Its this tactic that has stopped me from buying music with anything resembling frequency. The recording industry sure knows how to be slimy bastards, thats for sure.
[globeandmail.com]
GrepLaw
