Judge Grants Reprieve to Madster

A federal judge in Albany, N.Y., has granted a temporary reprieve to Madster, an online file-sharing system being sued for copyright infringement by the entertainment industry.

The major record companies, music publishers and Hollywood studios accuse Madster, formerly known as Aimster, of enabling wide-scale piracy.

While that case is pending in federal court in Chicago, a federal court in New York is handling a bankruptcy petition filed by Troy, N.Y.-based Madster’s creator, John Deep.

On Dec. 2, U.S. District Judge Marvin E. Aspen in Chicago ordered Deep to stop all copyright infringements by Madster while the lawsuit was pending. But U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn in Albany suspended Aspen’s order Friday, citing the potential damage to Madster’s creditors. He also scheduled a hearing for Thursday on the issue.

The latest order allows Deep to distribute Madster’s software again. But Deep said in an interview that he wouldn’t take any action before Thursday’s hearing.

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-- Jon Healey