RapidShare file hosting is not responsible for user actions.

A German appeals court found file hosting service RapidShare not liable for hosting user content. The court issued this ruling several days ago. The trial was initiated following complaints from copyright holders whose content was posted on RapidShare's pages.

The court ruling also noted that resource owners cannot filter the content posted on the site. Keyword blocking does not separate pirated content from legal content. This method of blocking often results in legitimate web content being blocked instead of illegal content. Similarly, blocking specific file types is also ineffective.

This isn't the first time file hosting service RapidShare has been subject to legal challenges. The main demand made to the site's owners is to tighten the fight against pirated content appearing on their pages. Judges have called for the blocking of particularly active users found distributing counterfeit content.