“The list of plaintiffs in the case is a virtual “Who’s who” of influential Hollywood record and film companies. The defendants in the case are Grokster and StreamCast Networks — which providesoftware that allows peer-to-peer file sharing of music and movies on personal computers.
According to the plaintiffs, more than 90 percent of the files that are actually exchanged using the software consist of copyrighted material that the swapper — that is, the person who makes files available for download on his or her computer — has no right to distribute. For this reason, the plaintiffs — who say they own the lion’s share of the copyrights at issue — seek whopping damages against Grokster and StreamCast.”
