Madster given court order to close

NEWS Controversial file sharing site Madster, formerly Aimster, has been ordered by a Chicago federal judge to unplug its computers from the internet in an extreme last ditch attempt to stop the trade of illegal songs and other files over its network. Federal judge Marvin Aspen last month ordered Madster to prevent trades of copyrighted music on its service, but in papers filed with the court, Madster owner Johnny Deep called the order "impractical," and the service has since stayed online. In the midst of weighing arguments as to whether Deep and Madster should be held in contempt of court, Aspen ordered Madster to disconnect its website altogether and any computers used in the file-sharing service. If the company doesn't voluntarily pull its own plug, the judge added, record labels are free to go to Madster's internet service provider and ask it to shut down all connections to the service. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which famously hounded Napster through the courts, said Judge Aspen's latest ruling cannot be ignored. RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement: "This temporary restraining order will certainly make clear that the infringement must stop immediately, whether that is through [Madster's] actions or actions by its internet service provider." The temporary restraining order will be in effect until 22 December. As of Wednesday morning, 10:00(GMT), Madster's website was still in operation. John Borland writes for News.com