Harvard Prof Wants to Broadcast RIAA Case on Internet
Today, Professor Charles Nesson and his team of Harvard Law students filed a motion to broadcast courtroom coverage of the trial on the Internet, which is traditionally prohibited. More specifically, Nesson and his students are hoping to allow audio-visual coverage of the motion and trial proceedings. Nesson is defending Joel Tenenbaum, who has been sued by the RIAA for $1,050,000 for allegedly downloading making available 7 songs in a shared folder when he was 17 years old.
“The judicial process is essentially an exercise in civil discourse,” said Nesson. “Given the keen interest of the diverse parties following this litigation closely, and the potential learning value of this case to a broad audience beyond, this case presents an ideal instance in which judicial discretion should be exercised under the auspices of the rule to admit Internet to the courtroom.”
Despite the RIAA’s announcement last week that it is dropping its legal assault, it has not dismissed any of its existing cases, such as Tenenbaum’s. The RIAA’s attorneys will almost certainly oppose Nesson’s motion to allow the case to be broadcast on the Internet.
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