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Guidelines To Limit Criminal Prosecutions Of Filesharing Services, Benton C. Martin, Jeremiah R. Newhall
Guidelines To Limit Criminal Prosecutions Of Filesharing Services, Benton C. Martin, Jeremiah R. Newhall
Benton C. Martin
This short essay acknowledges certain efficiencies in enforcing copyright law against "secondary" infringers like filesharing services through criminal proceedings, but it proposes guidelines for prosecutors to use in limiting prosecutions against this type of infringer.
Criminal Copyright Enforcement Against Filesharing Services, Benton C. Martin, Jeremiah R. Newhall
Criminal Copyright Enforcement Against Filesharing Services, Benton C. Martin, Jeremiah R. Newhall
Benton C. Martin
The high-profile prosecution of the popular online storage website Megaupload for criminal copyright infringement is the latest in a series of recent criminal prosecutions of online filesharing services. But what pushes a legitimate online file-storing business over the edge to criminal enterprise? How might criminal copyright enforcement differ materially from civil enforcement?
This article answers these questions and suggests guidelines for prosecutorial discretion. After a condensed history of criminal copyright law, we explain why "secondary" theories of infringement apply in the criminal, as well as civil, context and why the DMCA "safe harbor" defense is a red herring in criminal …