There is a certain condescension with which Usenet users treat Bittorrent, but both now are on the wanted list.
The dreaded Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has taken out a lawsuit against Usenet.com and stated its intention to go after newsgroups.
In a strongly worded Complaint for Damages, the RIAA says Usenet "provides essentially the same functionality that P2P services such as Napster, Aimster, Grokster and Kazaa did (prior to being enjoined by the federal courts) – knowingly providing the site and facilities for users to upload and download copyrighted works – except that the Defendant [Usenet] goes further than even the P2P services to facilitate and encourage copyright infringement by its users."
This is a little harsh considering the masons-like manner with which newsgroups restrict their memberships, but it is certainly a full declaration of intent.
Like previous claims against the P2Pers, the RIAA is again going after financial damages and site closure.
A chilling thought in all this is – with its more centralised distribution method – newshosting may actually prove an easier target for prosecution than P2P. Either way however one of the Internet’s very oldest institutions now faces the fight of its long life…
Source: Full Copy of RIAA Complaint
