Grokster croaks..

Another P2P network bites the dust

http://news.com.com/Last+waltz+for+Grokster/2100-1027_3-5937832.html?tag=nefd.lede
from WinCustomize Forums

File-swapping company, Grokster is gone.  After a $50 million settlement with Hollywood studios, the company agreed to discontinue providing its peer-to-peer program.

Grokster, it was found this past summer, encouraged its users to use its service to pirate software, music, and other digital content.  In a ruling that raised a lot of controversy this summer, the courts said that a company can be held liable if it is found to actively encourage people to violate copyright.  Grokster and other peer networks many believe try to gain users by promising them access to free everything (including commercial content).

Companies like Grokster were making impressive levels of profit through advertising and other means. Many developers, (including this one), felt it pretty unacceptable for a company to make a profit by empowering users to steal from other companies.

While peer-to-peer file sharing is a legitimate form of software distribution, there is little excuse for having generic, unmoderated search engines or unregulated listings of it (just as WinCustomize and other reputable skin sites actively police what content it links to and what is displayed).

5,761 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You know I appreciate you guys putting these articals here on the site.I tend to search everything with Google (no news on my start page) and then check out skins and whats going on here more than I read the news so its nice to be up on these things.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
(no news on my start page)

You should probably make this your homepage then.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
AND AGAIN, "WHAT" HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH SKINNING???
This is supposed to be a skinning site.
Post this sort of stuff on a blog site or Stardock
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
News is news, whether it be:

"WC News"
or
WC "News"
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
AND AGAIN, "WHAT" HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH SKINNING???
This is supposed to be a skinning site.
Post this sort of stuff on a blog site or Stardock


If the OWNER wants to post an article on Grokster or the Muppetts, it's his perogative.....and just so that you know HE ALSO OWNS Stardock. Furthermore, most here at WC are grateful for Brad's news items.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

AND AGAIN, "WHAT" HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH SKINNING???

Skinners are artists who have a high regard for intellectual property rights...aka Copyright, which is something the likes of Grokster were created to circumvent, so it's demise is not just NEWS, but bloody GOOD NEWS.

Anyone who has had his rights violated/property stolen can see the merit of this item's inclusion here, irrespective of the status of the 'Author'...

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I do wonder when they'll start suing google for not being pro-active and having people who go through their search results looking for warez.

Then again, maybe they do.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
nd just so that you know HE ALSO OWNS Stardock


I have known that he own's Stardock for a long time and don't need to
be told. I respect the guy for what he has achieved and done for the SKINNING community,
but with all the rubbish that has been going on here about "Bandwidth Usage" and
"Running Costs" of late, I feel that all this type of NEWS would
be better on a more APPROPRIATE site.
SAVE THE BANDWIDTH FOR THE SKINNERS AND DOWNLOADERS.
After all, they are the "REAL' people who help to keep sites like this operating
and "SELLING" Stardock Software.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
alpha_omega you obviously don't grasp it ....and your sarcasm won't win any brownie points around here.

Given that skinners and downloaders generally have interests outside of skinning, the news article that Brad presents are welcomed and enjoyed by the majority.....and therefore, appropriate.

I respect the guy for what he has achieved and done for the SKINNING community,


Obviously, you've left this respect in your other pants' pocket.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well said Starkers. Thany you.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This article has to do with intellectual property rights as well as a moderated community, which means we should have no fear of being violated by unregulated advertising and malintent from would be warez seekers. Warez is a bigger problem than people realize, it can cause prices of the product we like and use to become overpriced and possibly obsolete through a burdened load on the producers of software.

Being as critical as some have shown themselves to be in these forums is completely unnessecary. If you want to cause yourself a stroke, do it on someone else's "bandwidth" and say something constructive or keep your fingers off the keyboard.

Thanks for reading my 2 cents, happy skinning!
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Alpha-omega: People who read up on the 'news' are also potential customers here at WinCustomize, and thus, also of stardock. This means that its important to have non-skinning related stories as well. Why the big ruckus about whats in the news here? After all, in terms of bandwidth, the 'home page' is far lower in bandwidth than actually downloading skins and wallpapers. Your concern is appreciated, but perhaps the judgement of news posts should be left to the Moderators.

( This isnt meant to be attacking... just letting you know my feelings on it )