A copyright infringement lawsuit filed by a number of television and movie studios in a New York federal court against now-defunct LimeWire LLC was recently settled. The lawsuit alleged that LimeWire’s website was used to share billions of illegal copies of digital video entertainment files without compensation to the copyright owners. The lawsuit also accused LimeWire’s founder, Mark Gorton, of inducing and benefitting from the alleged infringement. According to a November 7th order, the case was dismissed with prejudice to the plaintiffs that included Walt Disney Company, Viacom, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film, and Warner Brothers Entertainment. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
In May 2010, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled in a separate lawsuit that both LimeWire and Gorton induced the infringement of copyrighted musical works. Less than six months later, the website was shut down by court order. That lawsuit resulted in a settlement of approximately $105 million.
Copyright is a legal term used to describe the right to control the use of original works that were created or are owned by an individual or company. In general, a copyright provides the owner with legal protection for movies, television shows, books, software programs, music, artwork, and other forms of unique human expression. Unlike most types of intellectual property, copyright protections attach without any sort of legal filing or registration. An owner’s copyright begins when a work is permanently shared with others.
Copyright owners who suffer infringement are often entitled damages and attorney’s fees. Injunctive relief may also be available to combat infringement. Still, the United States Copyright Act includes certain fair use exceptions to an owner’s copyright. This means an individual who does not own the copyright is entitled to use an original work in a classroom, for comment or criticism, for news reporting, or for research and scholarship purposes.
Litigating a copyright or other intellectual property issue can be tough. It is often to your advantage to have an experienced intellectual property professional on your side. Please contact the diligent New York City business law attorneys at Korngut Paleudis LLC if you or your company is facing a copyright, patent, trademark, or other intellectual property lawsuit. Our knowledgeable attorneys are ready and willing to help you develop a litigation strategy that suits your business needs.
At Korngut Paleudis LLC, our caring advocates have more than 45 years of experience assisting clients who are located in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. To speak with a hardworking lawyer about your copyright or other business law claim, do not hesitate to contact Korngut Paleudis LLC through the law firm’s website or give us a call at (212) 949-0138 in New York City, (914) 220-8270 in White Plains, or (203) 355-3635 in Stamford, Connecticut.
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New York Apple Growers Agree to Pay Cornell University for Exclusive Rights to Two New Hybrid Varieties, New York City Business Litigation Lawyer Blog, October 24, 2013
Additional Resources:
Disney, Piggy Pushers, Dunlop: Intellectual Property, by Victoria Slind-Flor, Bloomberg Law
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