Judge Moves to Focus File-Sharing Suit

A federal judge took several steps Monday to focus the music and movie industries’ lawsuit against online file-sharing networks Morpheus, Kazaa and Grokster.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the plaintiffs said they intended to expand the lawsuit to cover the two principal figures in Kazaa--Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis--as well as Sharman Networks, the company distributing Kazaa’s software.

U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson said he wanted to limit evidence gathering to a few core legal questions, which could be decided later this year. He said he would not allow Kazaa to concede defeat without responding to the plaintiffs’ demands for evidence.

Lawyers for Kazaa had tried to raise the white flag, saying the costs of the lawsuit were driving their client out of business. But Wilson ordered Zennstrom and Friis to give depositions to the plaintiffs’ lawyers this month.

Andrew Bridges, a lawyer for Morpheus owner Streamcast Networks Inc., said Monday’s rulings were important “because the judge recognized the complexity of the case.” He added that Wilson was trying to “ensure that the parties would in fact be able to bring the substance of the case to the court.”

Wilson also declined Bridges’ motion to withdraw as counsel for Streamcast. Although Streamcast hasn’t paid its legal bills, Wilson ordered Bridges’ firm to continue representing the company until the pretrial motions were decided.

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Jon Healey