On: Project Gutenberg blocks access from Germany

[robjwells]

> I just wanted to point out that the reaction of the court isn’t as entirely pointless as it may seem on first thought.

And I think you’re right to do so!

Honestly, regarding the whole case, I think the court has erred in accepting the publisher’s argument that Project Gutenberg is a valid target for a lawsuit in Germany.

If the publisher wants the books removed it should sue in the US, if it wants to prevent access from Germany it should seek another local remedy.

[madhadron → robjwells]

They have no legal basis for the books being removed in the US, since they are in the public domain there. If they can't make German law stick, they have no recourse.

[tony101 → madhadron]

They can go for the ISPs, or push for some German law to restrict local access. Doesn't mean they should, though.

[thomastjeffery → tony101]

Again, said ISPs are US-based, and the only precedent for blocking in the US is DMCA, which considers these works public domain.

[tony101 → thomastjeffery]

I'm referring to local ISPs that German users use to access the Internet. Presumably the court can order them to block access to resources.