File Sharing
Tired of the entertainment industry treating you like a criminal for wanting to share music and movies online? We are too -- EFF is fighting for a constructive solution that gets artists paid while making file sharing legal.
The RIAA's and MPAA's irrational war on P2P is not generating a single penny for artists. In fact, despite lawsuits against many P2P providers and over 20,000 music and movie fans, file sharing is more popular than ever.
Yet the lawsuits have forced ordinary Americans to pay thousands of dollars to music and movie industry lawyers, while many innocent individuals have been caught in the crossfire. What's more, the entertainment industry has threatened innovation in P2P systems and many other tools that help you get more from your media.
These lawsuits have no end in sight, and it could get even worse -- the industry has pushed Congress to ratchet up civil and criminal sanctions for file sharing and to restrict innovation.
You can help put a stop to this misguided campaign. Already, many artists are turning against the lawsuits, and over 60 million people in the United States have used file sharing -- more than the number of people who voted for our current President. Together, we can forge a better way forward.
Sign our petition opposing the lawsuits, and donate to support our efforts.
Learn more about how EFF has fought to end the war on P2P
- EFF has proposed ways for artists to get paid without fans getting sued.
- EFF helped establish legal protections for privacy online, including the privacy of P2P users.
- EFF has assisted Internet users mistakenly caught in the industry's dragnet.
- EFF has helped P2P users sued by the RIAA and MPAA find legal counsel.
- EFF took MGM v. Grokster to the Supreme Court and defended the right of innovators to build new technologies without begging Hollywood's permission first.
- EFF helped beat back the INDUCE Act, which threatened innovation and P2P systems.
- EFF debunked Audible Magic's P2P filtering solution.
- EFF pushed for sensible solutions for college campuses concerned with file sharing.
- EFF started a petition to Congress opposing the RIAA lawsuits.
- EFF and its members helped defeat the Berman "P2P Vigilantism" Bill in 2002.
File Sharing Cases
- Interscope v. Leadbetter
- BUMA_v_Kazaa
- Lava v. Amurao
- Atlantic v. Howell
- Arista v. Lime Wire
- Capitol v. ThomasLast October, Jammie Thomas was found liable for copyright infringement for file sharing, and hit with a $222,000 judgment. Thomas' case was the first file sharing lawsuit to reach a jury verdict.
- RIAA v. The People
- Napster Cases Archive
In The News
- CNET NEWS.COM | November 18, 2008 RIAA win: Tennessee to police campus networks
- ARS TECHNICA | August 26, 2008 RIAA wins P2P case after defendant reformats hard drive
- ARS TECHNICA | September 29, 2008 EFF to court: Tread carefully when ruling on LimeWire
Other Resources
- A Better Way Forward: Voluntary Collective Licensing of Music File Sharing
- Making P2P Legal
- Making P2P Pay Artists
- The Berman P2P Bill: Vigilantism Unbound
- How To Not Get Sued for File Sharing
- Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security (ACCOPS) Act of 2003
- User Privacy for ISPs and Accidental ISPs
- IAAL: What Peer-to-Peer Developers Need to Know about Copyright Law
- "RIAA v. The People: Two Years Later" (November 3, 2005)
- Overview of EFF's Efforts to Protect P2P
- Poster for "Let the Music Play" campaign
- Musician Disputes Industry's Stance on Music Sharing
- Misguided "Anti-Piracy" Bill Introduced in Congress
- File-sharing: It's music to our ears
- Janis Ian: "The Internet Debacle - An Alternative View"[janisian.com]
- Subpoena Database Query Tool (disabled)
Whitepapers
- 2008 RIAA v. The People: Five Years Later
- 2006 How To Not Get Sued for File Sharing
- 2006 IAAL*: What Peer-to-Peer Developers Need to Know about Copyright Law
- 2005 When Push Comes to Shove: A Hype-Free Guide to Evaluating Technical Solutions to Copyright Infringement on Campus Networks
- 2003 Unsafe Harbors: Abusive DMCA Subpoenas and Takedown Demands
Deeplinks Posts
- November 17, 2008 RIAA Wins, Campuses Lose as Tennessee Governor Signs Campus Network Filtering Law
- September 24, 2008 Capitol v. Thomas: Judge Orders New Trial, Implores Congress to Lower Statutory Penalties for P2P
- August 21, 2008 Order Against Comcast Issued, FCC Credits EFF
Press Releases
- October 01, 2008 RIAA Lawsuit Campaign Losing Credibility
- September 26, 2008 EFF Urges Court to Protect Innovation in Arista v. Lime Wire
- June 20, 2008 EFF Urges Judge to Grant New Trial for Jammie Thomas
Documents and Files
- Universities Should Resist Network Monitoring Demands[PDF, 101.75 KB]
