Next Music Pirate Target: Spain's Blubster

Under The Gun For Allowing Illegal Downloads

SPAIN's PABLO SOTO launched BLUBSTER, "one of the world's most popular peer-to-peer Internet file-sharing programs of recent years -- with no training and operating out of his grandmother's apartment," writes THE WASHINGTON POST. "Now SOTO may become a victim of his own success as he finds himself the lone defendant in the latest major legal battle by the music industry against Internet piracy. The case, although similar to others in EUROPE and the U.S., is being closely watched on both sides of the ATLANTIC because SPAIN is ranked as one of the world's worst Internet piracy offenders.

"We are attacking companies who are profiting by developing applications that are used for piracy," said Spanish record label association PROMUSICAE Pres. ANTONIO GUISASOLA. It is suing SOTO for euro13 million on grounds of unfair competition.

"GUISASOLA hopes the case will mirror recent court rulings against operations such as NAPSTER in the UNITED STATES and PIRATE BAY in SWEDEN. He and others also hope it will also force SPAIN to finally draw up new legislation and enforce it. They cite a new law in FRANCE that aims to cut off Internet connections of those who repeatedly download music and films illegally.

"SOTO, 29, said BLUBSTER is a fully legal Internet tool -- admittedly one designed precisely to skirt the legal loopholes that nabbed NAPSTER in 2001 -- and that he is not responsible for what people do with that tool.

"My programs are not just for illegal music downloads. P2P file-sharing has many more uses," he said.

"Examples of so-called legitimate uses include downloading historic speeches, uncopyrighted music and public domain intellectual property such as music and books whose copyright has expired, he said."

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