EFF: 20040213 UMG RIAA Response Amici

UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURTFORTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIAUMGRECORD

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"foreaseofreference,recognizingth

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tPlaintiffsbelieveitisprematuretograntsuchstatustoanygroupinthislitigation.

Indeed,intwoparallelcases,federalcourtsinNewYorkhaverejectedeffortsbythesesame

amici

tolitigateissuesinadvanceofnoticetotheDefendantsandpriortoissuanceofasubpoenatotheISP.

See

Order,

SonyMusicEntm't,Inc

.

v

.

JohnDoes1

-

40

(S.D.N.Y.Feb.3,2004)(Chin,J.)(attachedasExhibitA);Order,

WarnerBros

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v

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JohnDoes1

-

43

(S.D.N.Y.Feb.10,2004)(Sprizzo,J.)(rulingfromthebench).Inthosecourts,aswellasthethirdcasethatparallelsthisone,2judgeshavegrantedPlaintiffs'motionforexpediteddiscoveryanddeferredlitigationofalloftheissuesraisedby

amici

untilafterDefendantshavebeennotifiedand

/

oridentified.ThisCourtshouldfollowthatcourse.AssetforthinPartIIofthisbrief,alltheissuesraisedby

amici

canberesolvedintheordinarycourseofthislitigation-ifanyDefendantwantstoraisethem-inawaythatbalancesPlaintiffs'needtovindicatetheirrightsunderfederallawandtostoptheongoingirreparableharmcausedbyDefendants'copyrightinfringementwithDefendants'interestinhavingafullandfairopportunitytolitigaterelevantissuesattheappropriatetime.Thefirststepinthatprocess,however,isissuanceofasubpoenatoVerizon(theISPservingalloftheDefendants),whichcannotoccuruntiltheCourtgrantsPlaintiffs'motionforexpediteddiscovery.PlaintiffsthereforerequestthattheCourtgrantthatmotionasquicklyaspossibleanddeny

amici

'smotion.BACKGROUND

Amici

concede,astheymust,thatPlaintiffsareentitledtobringsuitagainstindividualsdisseminatingcopyrightedworksoverpeer-to-peer("P2P")networks.

Amici

Br.at1.Indeed,thereisnocredibleargumenttothecontrary.UploadinganddownloadingcopyrightedworksoveraP2Pnetworkclearlyviolatesfederallaw.

SeeA&MRecords,Inc

.

v

.

Napster,Inc

.,239F.3d1004,1013-14(9thCir.2001).Moreover,widespreaddisseminationofPlaintiffs'2Inthethirdcase,

AristaRecords,Inc

.

v

.

JohnDoes1

-

250

(S.D.N.Y.Jan.26,2004)(Kaplan,J.),a

mici

havenotsoughtleavetoparticipate.2

copyrightedsoundrecordingsoverP2Pnetworksdevastatesthemusicindustryeverydaythatitpersists.EachoftheDefendantsinthiscaseisanactiveparticipantinaP2Pnetwork.EachoftheDefendantsthusparticipatesinanonlineswapmeet,offeringcopyrightedsoundrecordingsfordownloadtoeachotheranddownloadingcopyrightedsoundrecordingsfromeachother.EachDefendanthaschosentomakeavailablefromhisorhercomputerhundredsorthousandsofcopyrightedsoundrecordingsunlawfully(inexchangeforthechancetocopymillionsoffilesillegallycopiedanddisseminatedbyothers).

See

DeclarationofJonathanWhiteheadinSupportofPlaintiffs'MotionforLeavetoTakeImmediateDiscovery¶17("WhiteheadDecl.");SecondDeclarationofJonathanWhitehead¶5("SecondWhiteheadDecl.")(attachedasExhibitB).Althoughthemeritsarenotgermaneatthisstageoftheproceedings,Plaintiffshavealreadyprovidedsignificantevidencesupportingtheirclaims.WithrespecttoeachDefendant,PlaintiffshaveprovidedalistofseveralcopyrightedsoundrecordingsthatDefendantsdisseminatedwithoutauthorization.

See

ExhibitAtotheComplaint.ForeachDefendant,PlaintiffsdownloadedbothalistofthefilesandasampleofthosefilestoconfirmthatPlaintiffsownedthecopyrightsofthesoundrecordings.

See

WhiteheadDecl.¶16.PlaintiffshaveprovidedsworntestimonythateachofthenamedDefendantsofferedthecopyrightedworkslistedintheComplaintand(basedonevaluationofthenamesandfiletypes)appearedtobeofferinghundredsofadditionalcopyrightedsoundrecordingswithoutauthorization.

See

WhiteheadDeck¶17;SecondWhiteheadDecl.¶5.Finally,PlaintiffshaveprovidedtotheCourt,asanexample,detailedlistsofthehundredsoffilesbeingdistributedbythreeoftheDefendants.

See

Exhibit1toWhiteheadDecl.Plaintiffshavealsoprovidedtestimonyunder

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