Everyone getting so upset at this Grokster ruling has me somewhat befuddled. This is not the death of P2P, or a slamming inditement of P2P. This was a 9-0 decision by very smart people, who believe that Grokster and StreamCast have actually promoted with a wink and a nod illegal file swapping. The Sony ruling was upheld, says the Grokster attorney. As such there is no worry that innovation in areas of media copying and distribution are going to be curtailed.

Anyone who has read my blog knows I am against restricting how one enjoys and uses their music. They should have the right to listen to their song on any device, and in any codec they choose. They should be able to make personal backups and share their musical discoveries/favourties with friends and families. This benefits both fans and artists.

This story is not finished. We need to know how the lower courts will now make the distinction between Grokster and Google. I see a big difference.