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Comment by Jach | Hacker News Reader

Why would Dropbox be hit by lawsuits now due to their API? Amazon's web services and every other cloud storage site has no less risk. I am betting on lawsuits for this Boxopus service since they're actually doing the downloading and distributing, even if it's on a user's behalf.

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why would they be suing boxopus? that would be like suing the creators of the bittorrent client. boxopus doesn't store any data, nor provide links to torrents for people, it's simply a service like your bt client. If anything, this seems like this would be an easier way to catch the actual users.

Valid logical points; However the RIAA and MPAA don't operate on Logic or Validity.

So they'd sue boxopus to get their user data (IP addresses)? Or is this an RIAA/MPAA honeypot?

They'd sue them to try and bleed them into the grave regardless of if they have any legal basis to do so.

Why not? But it'd be better than an IP address you'd have their dropbox account.

Because Boxopus actually downloads the content? They're not just a BT client, they actually run instances of it.

They are an interesting data point between the two:

* A generic provider of CPU/storage/bandwidth who isn't (generally speaking) responsible for users copying stuff using provider's resources.

* A service who clearly and obviously caters to pirates (those do actually get in legal trouble)

A lawsuit would probably be interesting for the class of cases where it is not clear who is legally responsible for actions performed by software (author, owner of box, user starting the action, etc.)

I think they would probably claim to be a service provider under the DMCA.

" (a) Transitory Digital Network Communications. - A service provider shall not be liable for monetary relief, or, except as provided in subsection (j), for injunctive or other equitable relief, for infringement of copyright by reason of the provider's transmitting, routing, or providing connections for, material through a system or network controlled or operated by or for the service provider, or by reason of the intermediate and transient storage of that material in the course of such transmitting, routing, or providing connections, if - (1) the transmission of the material was initiated by or at the direction of a person other than the service provider; "

To make that claim, they need to register a designated agent first; I can't find their agent on their online listings or their website, but I presume that they will do that before they get too big.

Disclaimer: IANAL, this is not legal advice.

Maybe they won't be hit by a lawsuit but it would be dumb for them to even risk the possibility. Far better to just cut off API access and be done with. It's not like Dropbox's business model depends on the availability of anonymous torrent downloads and the people who want that. Possibly the opposite, in fact.

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