Court Rejects Kazaa’s Bid to Bar Evidence

A federal judge in Australia rejected a request by the company behind Kazaa to bar the major record companies from using evidence seized last month in a dozen court-sanctioned raids in their copyright infringement lawsuit against the file-swapping giant.

Lawyers for Sharman Networks Ltd. of Vanuatu, which distributes the Kazaa software, said they wanted to study the 23-page ruling before commenting. An appeal is possible.

Judge Murray Wilcox also rejected an application to suspend the Australian litigation until there was a verdict in a similar case in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The Australian case is due back in court March 23.