The Asahi Shimbun reports an interesting court decision in Japan:
Setting a new guideline for criminal responsibility using new technology, the Osaka High Court ruled Thursday that the creator of the Winny peer-to-peer file-sharing program was not guilty of helping users violate copyrights.
Presiding Judge Masazo Ogura overturned a Kyoto District Court ruling, saying Isamu Kaneko, 39, was innocent because he did not promote illegal activities using the Winny software, even though he was aware of the risks of copyright violations.
Ogura also said the software “has various uses and the technology should be considered value neutral.” He concluded that the provision of a skill or technology alone does not constitute abetment.
Read more in Asahi Shimbun.