Federal Court Dents RIAA Strategy Against File-Sharers

A federal judge’s ruling against the RIAA not only represents a setback for the litigious trade group in one particular lawsuit, but also opens a Pandora’s box of technicalities that could mean a few speed bumps ahead for its legal steamroller. In Atlantic v. Howell, the RIAA moved for summary judgment, citing the presence of copyrighted content in a shared folder. The judge denied the request, saying it was unclear whether the defendants placed the content in the folder, and that its presence there alone did not constitute infringement.