The court order comes two months after the firm lost a copyright
battle with the music industry, in which an Australian court found
that the company was acting illegally in allowing users to breach
music copyright. Sharman Networks is appealing that ruling, with
the appeal due to be heard in late February.
At the time, Justice Murray Wilcox stayed an injunction against
the firm for two months, so that Kazaa could implement measures to
filter copyrighted music from its system. Those two months have now
passed, and yesterday, according to the International Federation of
Phonographic Industries (IFPI), Justice Wilcox warned Kazaa to put
in place a new keyword filter system by 5th December or face
complete shutdown.
The new filter, involving 3,000 keywords to be selected by
record companies, will apply to all new versions of the Kazaa
software. It can be updated on a fortnightly basis to target the
latest and most popular music releases nominated by record
companies.
IFPI Chairman and CEO John Kennedy said: "Kazaa has received its
final warning. It is time for services like Kazaa to move on – to
filter, go legal or make way for others who are trying to build a
digital music business the correct and legal way.”
The Australian record companies' body ARIA has also welcomed the
order.
According to ARIA Chief Executive Stephen Peach, "Today's
decision is excellent news for all artists going into the Christmas
period. The court has put an end to Kazaa's delay tactics on
filtering and ordered them to get on with it if they wish to
continue operating."
