Internet users thought they could ignore a piracy complaint. They will ultimately have to pay tens of thousands of euros. The American justice system is showing that it no longer jokes about illegal file sharing.
Sanctions against piracy are intensifying around the world. In recent years, several illegal streaming networks have been dismantled, resulting in prison sentences for those responsible. More recently, some jurisdictions are also targeting ordinary users or those accused of illegally sharing files. In the United States, these prosecutions result in fines of up to tens of thousands of euros.
This is what happened in Georgia, where a federal court has just convicted three Internet users for sharing copyrighted content via BitTorrent. In each case, the defendants failed to respond to court summons, allowing the plaintiff company to obtain a default judgment. These proceedings are being brought by Strike 3 Holdings, a company specializing in adult films and particularly active in the fight against piracy. It filed a more than 15,000 complaints in the United States in recent years, systematically targeting people identified by their IP address.
Up to $97,500 in fines for ignoring a piracy complaint
Each case follows a similar pattern: a company identifies an IP address used to share content, obtains the identity of the owner through the courts, and then files a complaint. The defendants, identified by name, are summoned to appear. In the absence of a hearing, the plaintiff can request a default judgment, as was done here. The highest amount awarded in these three cases reached $97,500, or approximately 90,000 euros, for the sharing of 130 files. The company claimed $750 per work, the legal minimum for an infringement deemed involuntary, while the law allows for much higher amounts in the case of deliberate infringement.
In addition to fines, the judgments impose the deletion of all files in question and a ban on their further distribution. This type of case has become common in the United States, where thousands of similar complaints are filed each year. While some are settled amicably, those that are ignored can be very costly. This decision serves as a reminder that in piracy cases, failure to respond to legal proceedings can have serious consequences, regardless of the extent of the alleged offenses.
Source: torrentfreak
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