Morpheus may have soldiered on a bit longer that most of its comrades in peer-to-peer networking, but it looks as if the file-swapping service is about to sing its (pirated) swan song. A federal judge ruled yesterday that StreamCast Networks, which distributes the software, has induced users to commit “massive infringement” of copyright, according to the Associated Press.
“In the record before the court, evidence of StreamCast’s unlawful intent is overwhelming,” wrote Stephen V. Wilson, a U.S. District Court judge, in the 60-page decision that may seal Morpheus’s fate.
StreamCast could appeal the decision, but its chances for success seem dim. And Michael Weiss, the company’s chief executive, isn’t exactly itching for a fight with the entertainment industry, which brought the suit against his firm: In January he told the Associated Press he had approached record companies to discuss a settlement (The Chronicle, January 4). —Brock Read
