Stanford Law School

Stanford Center for Internet and Society

In the heart of the Silicon Valley, legal doctrine is emerging that will determine the course of civil rights and technological innovation for decades to come. The Center for Internet and Society (CIS), housed at Stanford Law School and a part of the Law, Science and Technology Program, is at the apex of this evolving area of law.

MGM v. Grokster

This case is about whether peer-to-peer file sharing technology is illegal to distribute simply because people can use it to infringe copyright. Twenty-nine of the world's largest entertainment companies have sued MusicCity, Consumer Empowerment and Grokster, distributors of a leading peer-to-peer file-sharing product, in federal court in Los Angeles. Grokster distributes a file-sharing tool that allows users to connect with each other and share information of all kinds. The entertainment companies’ claim that Grokster should be held responsible for the alleged copyright infringements committed by its users. On Nov. 18, 2001 there was an additional complaint filed by the National Music Publishers Association. CIS is co-counsel for Grokster with Michael Page and Mark Lemley at the San Francisco firm of Keker & Van Nest.