The FastSilicon.com crew is not licensed to dispense legal advice, nor do we purport to be. Nevertheless, when it comes to our current understanding of the law as it is applied to the reality of technology and the historical paradigm shifts they create in traditional business models, we have very strong views. The current legal structure surrounding global copyright laws is clearly designed for the benefit of the copyright holder and anti-consumer. Senior Hardware Editor Scott Piercy makes no bones about this subject, as can be seen here.

Ms. Thomas has graciously offered us the opportunity to gain some insight into her predicament. Keep in mind that we are deliberately limiting ourselves to topics she can discuss. The ongoing nature of her case naturally limits the type of information that she can divulge. For those that would like to track the appeals process, updates are available at Justia.com

This is an exercise in the intricacies of law playing out in the sometimes imprecise manner dictated by our legal system, and purely an academic exercise. For Ms. Thomas, this is not the case. We try to keep this in mind.

Finally, in an attempt to be fair to all parties concerned, when this editorial is completed, we will submit it to the plaintiffs in an attempt to obtain a formal statement from them in regard to the outcome of this case. We will publish any communication we receive.