More from the lovely pop courts, this time the Sydney branch, where judges have ordered P2P company Kazaa to have a copyright filter in place by 5 Dec or shut down its system.
As previously reported, Kazaa owners Sharman Networks were first told they must adapt their software so that it filters out copyrighted music when, back in September, the Australian courts ruled that they were guilty of copyright violation for allowing their subscribers to use its software to illegally share music.
With Sharman currently going through the motions of appealing that ruling, no such filter has as yet appeared on the Kazaa network, hence the newly imposed deadline. The Australian courts have more power over the P2P company than most because they have their main administrative offices in the country, although they are actually registered in the Pacific island state of Vanuatu.
Sharman are yet to comment on the new demands, but John Kennedy of the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry welcomed the move, telling reporters: "It's time for services like Kazaa to move on - to filter, go legal or make way for others who are trying to build a digital music business the correct and legal way".