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Summarized by Michael Nielsen
LDS Church's Lawsuit Against Utah Lighthouse Ministry May Have Far Reaching Effects
WASHINGTON, DC -- The lawsuit brought by the LDS Church against the
Utah Lighthouse Ministry appears to be
affecting new cases concerning copyright on the Internet. The church
was victorious in its effort to force the Utah Lighthouse Ministry to
remove from its website all material copyrighted by the church. The
ruling also ordered removal of all links to copyrighted material
posted elsewhere on the Internet.
The judgment is being used in current, high-profile cases. The Motion
Publisher's Association of America and the recording industry seek to
stop the distribution of their copyrighted materials on the Internet.
MPAA was successful in shutting down a website that "rebroadcast"
television programs via the Internet. Now the MPAA seeks to shut down
the website http://www.2600.com, which distributes software enabling
users to bypass copy protection schemes on DVDs (digital videodiscs),
an alternative to videotapes.
In related hearings held recently, LDS Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
came down clearly on the side of Metallica and other groups who are
against the distribution of their music via the Internet. That case,
which is now before the courts, sought to stop users from using the
popular Napster software to share music via the Internet. [In late
news today, a Federal judge allowed Napster to continue its service
for now.]
These cases are expected to have widespread implications for the
Internet community. For example, many individuals operate web sites
that use copyrighted images or text in violation of the copyright
law. However, it remains unclear whether the church would pursue all
violators, but its actions against the Utah Lighthouse Ministry
suggest that sites critical of the church will likely be targeted.
Source:
Hollywood takes on Net anarchists
Sydney Australia Morning Herald 26Jul00 N1
By Tom Burton
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