Grokster gets a Supreme smackdown

Uh-oh. Better start burning those MP3 files, and by burning, I mean with a match and lighter fluid. The Supreme Court today unanimously rejected Grokster's argument that it's no more responsible for people using it to trade copyrighted files than VCR manufacturers are when people videotape movies. Rather, the Justices ruled, peer-to-peer services can be held liable for copyright infringement, especially if they urged their users to trade files illegally. (Grokster denies doing this.) Not sure if this means the download police will soon be knocking on your door, but in the meantime, you can read the whole ruling here (in PDF format).