Go Charlie, Go

The RIAA may finally have met its match

Professor Charlie Nesson of Harvard Law has launched a legal attempt to have the federal copyright law at the core of the RIAA’s legal strategy declared unconstitutional. He has come to the defence of a Boston University graduate student targeted in one of the music industry’s lawsuits, arguing that the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 is unconstitutional because it effectively lets a private group carry out civil enforcement of a criminal law.

In an interview with AP Charlie, who founded the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, said that his goal is to “turn the courts away from allowing themselves to be used like a low-grade collection agency.”

Great stuff. Let’s hope it works.