Kazaa file share case goes to court

Lawyers are to begin formally presenting their case in a music downloading lawsuit filed by the recording industry against a Boston University student.

The industry accuses Joel Tenenbaum of downloading songs and making music files available for distribution on the Kazaa file-sharing network.

Jury selection began yesterday in federal court in Boston. Opening statements are expected later in the day.

Tenenbaum's case is the second such case to go to trial.

Last month, a federal jury in Minneapolis ruled that a Minnesota woman must pay $1.92 million for wilful infringement of the recording industry's copyrights by posting music on Kazaa.

The industry has threatened about 35,000 people with charges of copyright infringement over the past five years, typically offering to settle for $3,000 to $5,000.