Film heavyweights sue iiNet for copyright infringement
Breaking News: A host of major film studios and Channel 7 have today launched legal proceedings in the Federal Court against iiNet alleging copyright infringement.
The studios are claiming that iiNet infringed copyright by not stopping iiNet customers from using BitTorrent to infringe the studios’ copyright in their respective films.
Under Australian law, a person can be liable for infringement if he or she ‘authorises’ another person to infringe copyright.
Whether or not a person ‘authorised’ another will depend on:
- the extent of the person’s power to prevent the other from infringing,
- the nature of the relationship between the person and the infringer, and
- whether the person took reasonable steps to prevent or avoid the infringement
The list of litigants reads like a who’s who of Hollywood heavyweights along with Channel 7. They include:
- Roadshow Films
- Paramount Pictures
- Sony Pictures
- Twentieth Century Fox
- Unversal Pictures
- Universal Stuidos
- Village Roadshow
- Warner Brothers
- Buena Vista
- Columbia Pictures
- Dream Works
- Disney Enterprises
The proceedings are unprecedented in Australia and could have serious ramifications for ISPs. We’ll be monitoring it closely and providing updates as they come to hand.
A directions hearing before Justice Cowdroy is scheduled for 17 December.
November 20, 2008 | Filed in General
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