LamaBox P2P media playin' lawsuit in a box

Whoa Nelly, here's a little sumtin' sumtin' to get the attention of the MPAA and RIAA litigation gestapo: Dutch company LamaBox is launching today what they are claiming to be the world's first media player with built-in peer-2-peer functionality. It plugs directly into your TV, provides search and download support for all the major P2P services you'd expect including Bittorrent and Kazaa, ships with a DVD burner and up to 400GB with 2 additional IDE connections for expansion, and is said to play "any format" of image/audio/video files found on the Internet. You may remember that Grokster was taken down due to their file sharing app and for subjectively taking "affirmative steps to foster infringement." So LamaBox is easy prey, eh? Not so fast, see the Dutch supreme court ruled long ago in favor of the then Netherlands-based Kazaa and only classifies the upload of copyrighted material as illegal. As the LamaBox FAQ responds to the question of the legality of downloading films and music, "downloading from the Internet is always legal." Those free-livin' straight-talkin' Dutch are offering the low end 40GB LamaBox 400 for €279/$329 or a 400GB top-end LamaBox 900 with DVD burner for €479/$565. Expect 'em to ship with a subpoena if they ever come Stateside — you know how the MPAA and RIAA roll.

[Via GadgetZone, Thanks Robert]

[Alan Strangis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

This wins the "Product with Attitude" Award for the year, hands down. ;)

"downloading from the Internet is always legal"
LOL!

[Chaotic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

This is sooooo unfair this was the idea that i thought will get me rich.Damn, now back to the drawing board.

[KC @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

This might just be the thing that gets G. W. Bush to pull troops from Iraq....

The US cannot stand for this blatent threat to America's battle to oppress Freedom
around the world!

[E71 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Sounds a little overzealous with the image/audio/video compatibility but if it could play all the file formats I need, I'd probably buy it just for that, to replace my current dvd/mpeg4 player.

[mizu @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Not that I advocate piracy, but this really brings a smile to my lips.

Ahh, those feisty Scandinavians! Maybe LamaBox will have a humorous legal section on their website detailing replies to litigious letters :D

[Ernesto @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Dutch, are not scandinavian. And yes, In the Netherlands, downloading copyrighted material is completely legal, uploading isn't

[Xander Mol @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

@mizu: Last time I checked Scandinavian countries were still a couple of hundred miles north from the Netherlands were I live.

And to all: indeed in Dutch law making a copy for your own use of music or video is legal. Even if you do this by downloading and even if you do not own the original yourself. This has been confirmed in many court verdicts.

That is why in the Netherlands, for music and video
"downloading from the Internet is always legal" is a true statement.

Catch is that this is not true for software and uploading is also illegal, and of course the major P2P networks now work only properly when you are uploading at the same time.

[Wim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

whahahahaha, I am always surprised how many non european people misplace our countries.
schools outside of europe don't teach geography anymore?
for your info, the netherlands (where the dutch people live) is placed just above belgium, alongside "ze germans" so the top west of the european mainland, and above that, you will find scandinavia.. you know, the viking grounds...