CP premonition: suing coders (& VCs) for writing software

[Ann Fibian]

http://wired.com/news/business/0,1367,42963-2,00.html

                        Patel also opened the door for
                         a rather curious legal fight
                         that could ultimately hold
                         venture capitalists and other
                         executives responsible for
                         fostering technology that is
                         used to break the law.

                         Matthew Katz, an attorney
                         who has brought numerous
                         lawsuits against various
                         companies on his own behalf,
                         has brought charges against
                         Napster CEO Hank Barry,
                         founder Shawn Fanning,
                         Fanning's uncle John who
                         helped launch the service and
                         Limp Bizkit front man Fred
                         Durst.

                         In what is being termed
                         "tertiary contributory
                         infringement," Katz argued
                         that because these people
                         either developed, funded or
                         supported Napster, they
                         should be held financially
                         responsible for the effects of
                         the system.

                         Patel acknowledged that Katz
                         was unlikely to win his suit,
                         but entertained the notion
                         that individuals could be held
                         accountable for their work.

..........

"You created this monster, now
you go figure out how to stop it."

Was this spoken by:

someone to the CIA re Osama
someone to Davis re Electricity
someone to Napster re Filesharing
someone to the USPO re Software patents
someone to Microsoft re Legacy code
someone to Tanner re Bell
someone to Congress re Tax code
someone to Stroustroup re C++