For the curious, the litigious, or those considering a final paper topic (!), here are some links to the series of big copyright cases we discussed in last week's class:

* Sony "Betamax" case -- This 1984 Supreme Court decision declared the VCR was not an illegal copyright infringement tool (i.e. it was OK for consumers to record and re-play movies and TV shows at home), because the same technology had "non-infringing" uses.
* Napster -- This is a good summary of the legal moves by music companies and particular artists against the explosively popular file-sharing program. In 2001, Napster complied with a court injunction in the middle of the lawsuit by shutting down its service. The case then settled, Napster was liquidated and later reworked as a subscription music service.
* Grokster -- The 2005 Supreme Court ruling could result in more lawsuits against file-sharing programs, rather than against individual downloaders. Some argue that it overturns the "Betamax" principle by ruling that companies who "foster infringement" with their technology are liable for the infringements carried out by the technology users. See here also.
* Google -- The search engine company had already suspended part of its Google Print project, which scans in manuscripts and makes all or part of them available online for free, when this class action suit by a number of authors was filed.