Sensing in Real TIme

Top Intellectual Property Law Issues of 2005, by Wolf, Greenfield (Patents)

It's usual at this time of year to try to figure out what the future holds.
I asked Henry Stimpson if he'd poll the folks at Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks,
a Boston IP law firm (with a really lovely website), and give us the firm's
assessment of what to keep an eye on for the coming year, as far as IP law
is concerned. He graciously agreed. What I found most interesting is what
they say about more conflict expected between patents and antitrust law.In
connection with patents, the Washington Post's Jonathan Krim is reporting a
major scoop today (reg req'd): "Several of the world's largest high-tech
corporations plan to urge Congress today to force Internet service providers
to crack down more aggressively on their users who swap copyrighted
software, music or video files online. "The move is a significant escalation
in the campaign by the software and entertainment industries to squelch
widespread file sharing by millions of users through services such as Kazaa,
Grokster and Morpheus. If successful, it could reshape a long legal
tradition of shielding phone, cable and other communications companies from
liability for the actions of their customers." Yes, you heard right. The
BSA is asking Congress to change the DMCA to make it possible for the
entertainment industry to get subpoenas from a clerk process instead of a
judge and use them to force ISPs to turn over user information.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050106124812184

posted by david soul @ 13.1.05