Universal, Warner and Sony filed a $2.6 Billion Anti-Piracy suit Friday against Verizon, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) reported.
A coalition of major record labels initiated a lawsuit against Verizon, accusing the telecom giant of neglecting its duty to curb piracy among its users, according to THR. The legal action, filed in a New York district court, asserts Verizon repeatedly ignored notifications from the labels regarding hundreds of thousands of repeat infringers, despite being aware of the ongoing copyright violations.
Verizon Hit With $2.6B Anti-Piracy Lawsuit From Major Record Labels https://t.co/2yUxZpg0Id
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 15, 2024
The lawsuit showcases the entertainment industry’s fight against digital piracy, as record labels demand roughly $2.6 billion in damages and a court order accusing Verizon of willful copyright infringement, THR reported. Increasingly, production companies and major studios are targeting internet service providers (ISPs) such as AT&T and Comcast for enabling the illegal sharing of copyrighted material. (RELATED: Judge Rules Moviegoers Can Sue Film Studios Over Misleading Trailers After Ana De Armas Cut From Film)
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998 grants ISPs limited liability protection if they adhere to specific conditions, such as terminating repeat infringers, THR stated. The lawsuit claims that Verizon has not fulfilled these obligations, ignoring over 340,000 infringement notices since 2020, with certain subscribers receiving more than 100 notices.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – JANUARY 30: A logo sits illuminated outside the Sony booth at ISE 2024 on January 30, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Cesc Maymo/Getty Images)
The record labels argue Verizon’s Anti-Piracy Cooperation Program is superficial, claiming it levies fees and demands indemnification from them, which curtails the processing and delivery of notices to infringing users, the outlet added. The complaint also charges Verizon with prioritizing profits over legal duties by failing to take decisive action against repeat infringers, out of concern for losing subscribers and revenue.
This lawsuit follows a pattern of similar legal actions where Verizon and other ISPs have been targeted by the entertainment industry. In 2022, Verizon, along with AT&T and Comcast, settled lawsuits related to piracy issues with the companies behind films such as Dallas Buyers Club, I Feel Pretty and Colossal, according to THR. The current lawsuit is seeking $150,000 in statutory damages for each of over 17,000 copyrighted works allegedly infringed upon.