Bifalgorithm post · Property · Problems
Stripit Software
Stripit Software (Property · Problems) — "A developer sells software called StripIt that removes the restrictions on movies purchased from the iTunes Store. De…
Ideas in this flowchart
- StripIt raises a potential contributory infringement issue.
- A developer sells StripIt, software that removes restrictions from movies purchased from the iTunes Store.
- The relevant theory is contributory infringement, also called Sony-style infringement.
- Contributory infringement may impose liability for placing a product on the market when it lacks substantial noninfringing uses.
- A product must be capable of substantial uses that do not infringe copyright.
- If a product is useful only for infringement, its seller may be liable for users’ illegal copying.
- StripIt appears useful only for removing protections against unauthorized copying of iTunes movies.
- Its potential liability depends on whether StripIt has other noninfringing uses.
- The analysis also requires examining how often users make fair use copies of movies they purchased.
- Sony itself was not held liable; Sony-style liability refers only to the legal ground discussed in Sony.
- The separate DMCA addresses intentional circumvention of anti-copying measures.
