Record Labels Hit Verizon With Billion Dollar Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – A coalition of main file labels, together with Common Music Group (UMG), Warner Music Group (WMG), Sony Music and ABKCO Music, has filed a lawsuit in opposition to one of many largest Web Service Suppliers (ISPs) in the US (US) with over 114 million subscribers. The lawsuit accuses Verizon of knowingly facilitating music piracy by permitting subscribers to infringe on copyrighted content material with out repercussions.

The file labels’ 408-page doc particulars what they declare is an “illustrative and non-exhaustive” record of 17,335 works infringed by Verizon’s clients and that “almost 350,000 infringement notices” have been despatched to Verizon since 2020. They search as much as $150,000 in statutory damages per work infringed by way of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), doubtlessly exceeding $2.6 billion.

“Verizon’s failure to take significant motion in opposition to its infringing subscribers drew subscribers partaking in Web piracy to buy Verizon’s companies in order that these subscribers might infringe Plaintiffs’ (and others’) copyrights and keep away from acquiring that copyrighted content material by way of professional channels,” the lawsuit reads. “Infringing subscribers have been drawn to Verizon’s companies due to its lax insurance policies regarding copyright infringement and sooner web speeds that facilitated the usage of P2P protocols for these prepared to pay extra.”

The lawsuit additional states, “Verizon fostered a secure haven for infringement in gentle of its lax insurance policies and thus inspired its subscribers to infringe. The particular infringing subscribers recognized in Plaintiffs’ notices, together with the notably egregious infringers recognized above, knew that Verizon wouldn’t terminate their accounts regardless of receiving a number of notices figuring out them as infringers, and so they remained Verizon subscribers in order that they may proceed illegally downloading copyrighted works.”

The labels assert that Verizon “supplies its high-speed service to an enormous group of on-line pirates, who it is aware of repeatedly use that service to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights.” Regardless of issuing “a whole bunch of 1000’s of copyright infringement notices” over the previous few years, the labels declare Verizon has didn’t take acceptable motion.

“Whereas Verizon is legendary for its ‘Are you able to hear me now?’ promoting marketing campaign, it has deliberately chosen to not take heed to complaints from copyright homeowners,” the lawsuit states. “As a substitute of taking motion in response to these infringement notices because the legislation requires, Verizon ignored Plaintiffs’ notices and buried its head within the sand. Undeterred, infringing subscribers recognized in Plaintiffs’ notices continued to make use of Verizon’s companies to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights with impunity. In the meantime, Verizon continued to supply its high-speed service to 1000’s of identified repeat infringers so it might proceed to gather hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from them.”

Ken Doroshow, RIAA Chief Authorized Officer, commented: “The Digital Millennium Copyright Act was designed to encourage creators and platforms to work collectively to cope with on-line piracy. The plaintiffs did their half, figuring out and informing Verizon of greater than 340,000 cases of blatant copyright infringement by nameless customers of Verizon’s community. Nonetheless, Verizon selected to disregard this mass-scale infringement and failed to meet its most elementary obligations underneath the legislation. By flouting the legislation and rejecting the trail of cooperation, Verizon has forfeited any declare to DMCA immunity and compelled music creators to show to the courts to guard their rights and their work, together with the 17,335 infringed recordings recognized within the Grievance.”

Traditionally, related lawsuits within the US have held Communications Service Suppliers (CSPs) accountable for copyright violations dedicated by their subscribers. A notable case in 2019 noticed Cox Communications ordered to pay $1 billion in damages for failing to take away identified music pirates from its community. Nonetheless, this quantity was later deemed extreme, and a brand new trial is being organized to find out a extra cheap penalty. As of press time, Verizon has but to remark publicly on the lawsuit.