Confirm favorite deletion?
Property Law Keyed to Singer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) v. Grokster, Ltd.
ProfessorTodd Berman
CaseCast™ – "What you need to know"
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
- Topic: Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.
- Parties: Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.
- Procedural Posture & History: Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.
- Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.: A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.
- Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises: Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
- Brief Facts: A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.
- Rule of Law: Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.
- Facts: What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case. Review the Facts of this case here:
Grokster, LTD and StreamCast Network distributed fee software that allowed the sharing of files in a peer to peer network. This avoided the need for central servers and costly server storage and works faster. Since files can go from computer to computer and not through the server it is safer and cost efficient. This program was used by universities, government agencies, corporations, libraries and then private users. Private users began sharing copyrighted music and video files without authorization. Grokster used technology called FastTrack and Stream Cast used Gnutella. The files shared do not go to a central location so Grokster and StreamCast did not know when the files were being copied but if they had searched there software they would see the type of files being shared. It was shown that StreamCast gave software called OpenNap labeled the best alternative to Napster in the hopes to take all the Napster users that had to stop using that software after Napster was sued. Grokster had a program called OpenNap that allowed users to search for Napster files. Grokster and StreamCast received revenues from posting advertising all over its program software. MGM was able to show that some 90 percent of the files being shared where copyrighted files. Also there is no evidence that either company tried to filter or stop copyright infringement. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Grokster and Stream Case because although users of the software did infringe MGM’s property there was no proof there the distributors had actual knowledge of specific acts of infringement. MGM appealed.
- Issue(s): Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.
- Holding: Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.
- Concurring / Dissenting Opinions: Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.
- Reasoning and Analysis: Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
- Policy: Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.
- Court Direction: Shares where the Court went from here for this case.