Directory of Lawyers Defending RIAA Lawsuits.

Note: An additional permanently stored copy of this directory may be found at http://beckermanlegal.com/pdf/?file=/Directory.htm

Note: pursuant to a new law in New York this post might be considered "Attorney Advertising" according to the law's definitions. However, this directory is published free of charge, it is an editorial feature of my own, and is not "advertising" under the ordinary definition of the term.
The following is a directory I have prepared of lawyers who are actively contesting peer to peer file sharing cases brought by the RIAA against consumers. If you know of other attorneys who you feel merit inclusion in this directory, please advise at [email protected] Thank you. -Ray Beckerman
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California
District of Columbia Florida Georgia
Illinois Indiana Kansas Maine Massachusetts
Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York
North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon
Pennsylvania RhodeIsland South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Wisconsin
** Denmark Finland France Germany Hungary Israel Netherlands
*United States*


Alabama
*Cleveland, Coker B., Cleveland Law Firm, LLC 1816 Tin Valley Circle, Suite C Birmingham, Alabama 35235 Office: 205.453.4702 Cellular: 205.516.3579 Facsimile: 205.419.0704 Email: [email protected]


Alaska
*Cooper, Elizabeth A.,Lybeck Murphy, LLP 500 Island Corporate Center 7525 SE 24 Street Mercer Island, WA 98040-2336 (206) 230-4255
Arizona



*Aguilar, Edwin Eloy, Karp Heurlin Weiss, 3060 North Swan Road, Tucson, AZ 85712-1225, Phone: 520-325-4200, Fax: 520-325-4224, Email: [email protected]
*Leach, Sid, Snell & Wilmer LLP, One Arizona Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-2202, Phone 602.382.6372, Email: [email protected]
*Williamson, Kathleen G., Williamson & Young, PC, PO Box
5603, Tucson, AZ, 85703, Phone: .520-620-8414 or (212)537-6684, Fax: (212)537-6683, Email: [email protected].

Arkansas

*Henning, Keith, Henning Legal PLLC, 3612 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 203, North Little Rock, AR 72116, (501)240-5825, Fax(501)641-6717 [email protected]

California

*Borodkin, Lisa J., 4027 Camero Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027, Phone 323.660.4439 Email: [email protected]
*Korn, Alan, Law Office of Alan Korn, 1840 Woolsey Street, Berkeley, CA 94703, (510)548-7300, Fax (510)540-4821, Email: [email protected]
*Ledford, Merl III, Ledford Law Corporation, 805 West Oak Avenue, Visalia CA 93291-6033, Tel 559.627.2710, Fax 559.627.0717, Email: [email protected]
*Stone, Michael B., 2250 E. Imperial Hwy. #200, El Segundo, CA 90245, (310)776-7500, fax (310) 356-3295, Email: [email protected]
District of Columbia


*Henning, Keith, Henning Legal PLLC, 3612 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 203, North Little Rock, AR 72116, (501)240-5825, Fax(501)641-6717 [email protected]
*Johnson, Johnnie Louis III, 11644 Mediterranean Court, Second Level, Reston, Virginia 20190-3401, Phone 703.471.0848, Fax 703.471.0478, Email: [email protected]
Florida
*Feingold, Barry G., Law Offices of Barry G. Feingold, P.A, 10100 West Sample Road, Suite 300, Coral Springs, FL 33065, Telephone: 954-255-3400, Facsimile: 954-780-3639, E-mail: [email protected]
*Little, George J., 4442 Lafayette St, P O Box 1612, Marianna, FL 32447, 850-526-5316, Email:
[email protected]
*Vellines, Veronica D., Abbey, Adams, Byelick, Kiernan, Mueller, Marone & Samis, L.L.P., P.O. Box 1511, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33731-1511, Office (727) 821-2080, Fax (727) 822-3970, Email: [email protected]
*Viscasillas, Richard M., 8670 Bridle Path Court, Davie, FL 33328, Phone: 954-560-8655, e-mail: [email protected]
*Wasylik, Michael A., Ricardo & Wasylik, PO Box 2245, Dade City, FL 33526-2245, Pasco County (352) 567-3173, Hillsborough County (813) 774-8509, Email: [email protected]
Georgia

*Caldwell, Michael A. DeLong, Caldwell & Bridgers, LLC Suite 3100 Centennial Tower 101 Marietta St., N.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 (404)979-3150 Email: [email protected]
Illinois
*McEachern, J. Richard, 7923 Big Bend, St. Louis MO 63119, 314-918-7888, 314-918-8010, mceachernlaw.com, Email: [email protected]
*Miller, Matthew S., Much Shelist Denenberg Ament and Rubenstein, P.C., 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606, Phone 312.521.2714, Fax 312.521.2814. Email: (phone for email address)
*Mondi, Patrick, MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton, LLP, 100 State Street, Suite 700, Erie, PA 16507, 814-870-7702, 814-452-0582 (fax), Email: [email protected]
*Patel, Nilay, Agency 68, 616 W. Fulton St. #505, Chicago, IL 60661, phone 773.456.8585, fax 312.265.0214, email: [email protected]
*Rubin, E. Leonard, Reed Smith Sachnoff & Weaver 10 S. Wacker Drive, 40th Fl. Chicago, IL 60606-7507 312-207-1000 [email protected]
*Saper, Daliah, Saper Law Offices 500 N Dearborn, Suite #1200, Chicago, IL 60610, office: 312.527.4100, fax: 312.527.5020, Email: [email protected]
Indiana



*Foster, Matt, Indiana Legal Services, Inc., 151 North Delaware Street, Suite 1800, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204, Phone (317) 631-9410, Fax (317) 631-9775 Email: [email protected] (Serving low-income individuals in the geographical area of Indianapolis. Clients accepted only through application process.)
Kansas

*Shaffer, Arthur, Intellectual Property Center, LLC, 9233 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114 Phone: (816) 363-1555 Missouri, (913) 481-8410 Kansas, Fax (816) 363-1201, Email: [email protected]
Maine

*Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, University of Maine School of Law. Phone (207) 780-4370 or 1-877-780-2522 (outside of Greater Portland area). (Small program through which law students provide legal representation to low-income individuals in Maine; case acceptance will depend upon meeting program eligibility requirements as well as availability of openings for new cases).
*Fletcher, Theodore G., P.O. Box 8, 311 Main St., Southwest Harbor, ME 04679, Phone 207.244.5225 Email: [email protected]
*Mittel, Robert Edmond, MittelAsen, LLC, P0B 427, 85 Exchange Street, Portland, ME 04112, 207 775 3101x202, Fax 207 871 0683, Email: [email protected]
Massachusetts

*Fletcher, Theodore G., P.O. Box 8, 311 Main St., Southwest Harbor, ME 04679, Phone 207.244.5225 Email: [email protected]
*Sayeg, Raymond, Denner Pellegrino LLP, 4 Longfellow Place, 35th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, (617) 742-1184, Email: [email protected]

Michigan
*Bartnik, Michael W., Bartnik Law Office, Columbia Center 14th Floor, 101 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48084, 248-687-1838, 248-687-1001 Fax, Email: [email protected]
*Hermann, John, 2684 West Eleven Mile Road Berkley, MI 48072 248-591-9291 Email: [email protected]
*Knoch, April E., Pentiuk, Couvreur & Kobiljak, PC, 2915 Biddle Avenue, Suite 200, Edelson Building, Wyandotte, MI 48192, Email: [email protected], (734) 281-7100, (734) 281-7102
Minnesota
*Glover, Samuel J., Glover & Associates, LLC, 2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 195, Minneapolis, MN 55413, phone • 612.823.0584, fax • 612.605.1947, e-mail • [email protected]
Mississippi





*Hooper, Niles, 2906 N. State Street, Jackson, MS 39292, Phone 601-213-3909, Fax 601-213-3667, Email: [email protected]
*Spencer, Karen H., Spencer & Spencer PLLP, 5760 I-55 North, Suite 450
Jackson, MS 39211, Phone: (601) 899-1723, Fax: (601) 899-1725 [email protected]
Missouri

*McEachern, J. Richard, 7923 Big Bend, St. Louis MO 63119, 314-918-7888, 314-918-8010, mceachernlaw.com, Email: [email protected]
*O'Connor, George R., The O'Connor Law Firm, The Parkville Law Office, L.L.C., 6002 NW Nine Highway, Parkville, MO 64152, 816-505-1600,
816-505-1604 FAX, Email, Alternate Email
*Shaffer, Arthur, Intellectual Property Center, LLC, 9233 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114 Phone: (816) 363-1555 Missouri, (913) 481-8410 Kansas, Fax (816) 363-1201, Email: [email protected]
Nebraska

*Placzek, Dan, Leininger, Smith, Johnson, Baack, Placzek & Allen, 104 N. Wheeler St., POB 790, Grand Island, NE 68802, Tel. 308-382-1930, Fax 308-382-5521, Email: [email protected]
*Placzek, Kate E., 300 S. 19th St., Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68102, Phone: 402-932-4489, Fax: 402-614-5926, Email: [email protected]
New Hampshire

* Bell, Melanie, PO Box 653, Newbury, NH 03255, (603) 863-2622, Email: [email protected]
New Jersey
*Topelsohn, Lauren, 425 Eagle Rock Ave. (2nd Fl.), Roseland, NJ 07068-1362, 973-618-2175, fax 973-228-1362, email: [email protected]
Nevada
 *Williams, Adam W., LV Personal Injury Lawyers 400 S. 7th St #450, Las Vegas, NV 89101, (702) 800-4660, Web: https://www.lvpersonalinjurylawyers.com, Email: [email protected]
New York
*Altman, Richard A., 285 West Fourth Street, New York, NY 10014, Tel 212 633 0123, Fax 917 463 1006, Email: [email protected]
*Beckerman, Ray, Ray Beckerman, P.C., 108-18 Queens Boulevard, 4th Floor, Forest Hills, NY 11375, (718) 544-3434 Email: [email protected].
*Cole, Stephanie A., Bloom, Cole & Shonn, LLP 6 North Pearl Street Buffalo, NY 14202 (716) 885-1270 Fax: (716) 885-2180 Email: [email protected]
*Flemma, Jay, Law Offices of Jay Flemma, P.C., 81 Franklin St., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10013 212.937.9894 Fx 212.379.6356 Email: [email protected]
*Glass, Jordan D., Jordan D. Glass, P.C. Office:7-11 Legion Drive, Suite M-1C Valhalla, NY 10595-2052 Mailing address: P.O. Box 274 Hartsdale, NY 10530-0274 (914) 831-3087 Email: [email protected]
*Iryami, Raymond, Raymond Iryami Law Firm P.C., 1010 Northern Blvd. (Ste 208), Great Neck, NY 11021 (516)336-2586, Fax (516)706-1540 and 305 Madison Ave. (46th Fl.), New York, NY 10165 (212) 599-1081, Fax (212)697-0877, Email [email protected]
*Janay, Barry E., The Law Office of Barry E. Janay, PC, 101 E. 15 Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003, Tel: 646-652-6206, Fax: 646-478-9204, Email: [email protected]
*Kirchner, Jonathan Edward, Jonathan Edward Kirchner, Esq., 4250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 4000 West Wing, Holbrook, NY 11741, (631) 786-2326, Email: [email protected].
*Karcioglu, Zeynel, 36 East 20th St. 6th Fl., New York, NY 10003, t: 212.505.6933, f: 646.219.4517, Email: [email protected]
*Krieger, Lawrence, The Wilder Building, 8 Exchange Blvd., Suite # 400, Rochester NY 14614, Phone (585) 325-2640, Toll Free Out Of Area (800) 719-3260, Fax (585) 325-1946, E-mail: [email protected]
*Lathrop, Jimmy, 641 President Street Suite 202, Brooklyn NY 11215 Tel: (718)857-3663 Fax:(718)857-3665 www.ParkSlopeLawyer.com Email: [email protected]
*Mack, Stuart, 350 Fifth Avenue, Ste. 4606, New York, NY 10118 (212)868-9300, Fax (212) 736-8677, Email: [email protected]
*Rogers, Morlan Ty, Vandenberg & Feliu LLP 110 East 42 Street New York, NY 10017 (212) 763-6800, Email: [email protected].
*Topelsohn, Lauren, 575 Madison Ave., Suite 1006, New York, NY 10022, 212-354-0498, fax 866-482-3171, email [email protected]

North Carolina
*Kornbluth, Michael A., Kornbluth Law Firm P.A., 3100 TOWER BLVD. SUITE 800, Durham, NC 27707, Phone 919-401-4100 Fax 919-401-4104, Email: [email protected]
*Long, Joseph M., Law Offices of Matthew K. Rogers, 200 First Ave., N.W., Suite 104, Hickory, NC 28603, Phone (828)327-2005, Fax (828) 327-7009, Email: [email protected]
*Robertson, Stephen E., Robertson & Medlin, PLLC, 125 S. Elm Street, Suite 100, Greensboro, NC 27455, (336) 378-9881, Email: [email protected]
Ohio







*Brown, Albert T., Jr., 1014 Vine St., Suite 2550 Kroger Bldg., Cincinnati, OH 45202, 513 621 2825, 513 621 2823 (fax), Email: [email protected]
*Boland, Dean, 18123 Sloane Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107, 216.529.9371 phone, 866.455.1267 fax, Email: [email protected]
*Hazelbaker, Joseph A., Sowash, Carson & Ferrier, 39 North College Street, PO Box 2629, Athens, OH 45701, Phone (740) 594-8388, Fax (740) 593-6490, Email: [email protected]
Oklahoma
*Barringer-Thomson, Marilyn D., 4901 Richmond Square Oklahoma City, OK 73118 (405)840-3101 Fax (405)842-3843 [email protected]
Oregon
*Lybeck, Lory R., Lybeck Murphy, LLP 500 Island Corporate Center 7525 SE 24 Street Mercer Island, WA 98040-2336 (206)230-4255
Pennsylvania
*Brink, James J., Brink Law Offices, Lawyers Building, 428 Forbes Ave, Ste 220, Pittsburgh PA 15219, (412) 227-0961, Fax (412) 227-0964, Email: [email protected]
*Farina, Elizabeth A., Swensen Perer & Kontos, One Oxford Centre, Suite 2501, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, Phone: (412) 281-1970, Fax: (412) 281-2808, Email: [email protected].
*Feldman, Lawrence E., Lawrence E. Feldman & Associates, LLP, 432 Tulpehocken Avenue, Elkins Park, PA 19027, Phone: (215)885-3302, Fax: (215)885-3303, Toll Free: 1-888-766-2690, Email: [email protected]
*Gibson, John W., 912 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-4702, Telephone (412) 281-1027, Fax (412) 281-1029, Email: [email protected]
*Mondi, Patrick, MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton, LLP, 100 State Street, Suite 700, Erie, PA 16507, 814-870-7702, 814-452-0582 (fax), Email: [email protected]
Rhode Island







*Mitson, Robert A., Mitson Law Associates, Mitson Law Associates, 603 Park Avenue, Woonsocket, RI 02895, Tel: 401-762-5900, Fax: 401-762-5907, Email: [email protected]
South Carolina

*Luck, Jason Scott, Seibels Law Firm, P.A., 127 King Street, Suite 100, Charleston, SC 29401, Office: 843.722.6777, Fax: 843.722.6781, Email: [email protected]
Tennessee

*Johnson, Johnnie Louis III, 2123 Bennett Ave., First Level, Memphis, TN 38114, Phone (703) 471-0848, Fax (703)471-0478 Email: [email protected]
Texas
*Asafi, Jay, 11205 Bellaire Blvd., Suite B-31, Houston, Texas 77072; phone: 281.879.9000; email: [email protected]
*Baran, Christopher D., Stephens & Myers, L.L.P., 515 Fourth Street, Graham, TX 76450, Phone 940-549-4758, Fax 940-549-3967, Email: [email protected]
*Camara, K.A.D., Camara & Sibley, 2339 University Boulevard, Houston, Texas, Phone 713-893-7973 Fax: 713-583-1131, Email: [email protected]
*Copeland, Justin, Law Office of Justin Copeland, 1307 Nueces, Austin, TX 78701, T: 512.565.7012, F: 512.722.7755, email: [email protected]
*Dawson, Carl R., Ryan & Dawson, (Houston • Cypress • Weimar), Main Address
770 S. Post Oak Ln., Ste. 550, Houston, TX 77056, 713-960-1555, 713-960-8491 fax, Email: [email protected].
*Furlough, Joette, Shackelford, Melton, & McKinley, LLP, 3333 Lee Parkway, Tenth Floor, Dallas, Texas 75219, 214-780-1400 Telephone 214-780-1401 Fax, [email protected]
*Leach, Sid, Snell & Wilmer LLP, One Arizona Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-2202, Phone 602.382.6372, Email: [email protected]
*Lone Star Legal Aid. (Serving low-income individuals in Eastern Texas area. Clients accepted only through application process.) Offices in Angleton, Beaumont, Bellville, Belton, Bryan, Galveston, Houston, Conroe, Longview, Nacogdoches, Paris, Texarkana, Tyler, and Waco, TX.
*MacKenzie, Donald Scott, The Law Office of Scott Mackenzie, P.C., 9603 White Rock Trail, Suite 324, Dallas, TX. 75238, (214) 245-4625, fax: (214) 764-0780, email: [email protected]
*McKinney, Buck, Law Office of Buck McKinney, PC, 1304 E. 7th. St., Austin, Texas 78702, 512/236-0150, fax 512/444-1879, Email: [email protected]
*Pierre, J. Goodwille, Walker, James, Dhingra & Pierre, PLLC, 1102 B Pinemont Drive, Houston, TX 77018 Tel 713-957-2789 Ext 28, Fax 281-861-9369, Email: [email protected].
*Rogers, Charles J., Conley Rose, JPMorgan Chase Tower, 600 Travis St, Suite 7100, Houston, Texas 77002-2912, Phone 713.238.8000, Fax 713.238.8008, Email: [email protected]
*Shaw, Ronald J., The Shaw Law Firm, P.C., 7300 Blanco Road (Suite 610), San Antonio, Texas 78216, 210-227-3737, Email: [email protected]
Virginia




*Johnson, Johnnie Louis III, 11644 Mediterranean Court, Second Level, Reston, Virginia 20190-3401, Phone 703.471.0848, Fax 703.471.0478, Email: [email protected]
Washington
*Lybeck, Lory R., Lybeck Murphy, LLP 500 Island Corporate Center 7525 SE 24 Street Mercer Island, WA 98040-2336 (206) 230-4255
Wisconsin


*Russell, Elizabeth T., Russell Law, 402 Gammon Place, Suite 270, Madison, WI 53719, 608-833-1555, fax: 608-833-1566, Email: [email protected]


*Denmark*

*Overbeck, Per, Hovedvagtgade 6, 4.sal 1103 Kbh. K, Denmark, Phone: +45 33 11 36 36, Fax: +45 33 11 36 38, Email: [email protected]
*Piratgruppen
*Finland *Turre Legal

*France*


*Hugot, Olivier, HugotAvocat 44 Rue Coquilliere Paris 75001 France +33 (0)1 55 80 72 50 Email: [email protected]
*Germany *Grosskopf, Lambert, Kanzlei Grosskopf, Speicher I, Konsul-Smidt-Strasse 8h, 28217 Bremen, Germany, Tel. +49 (0)421/168 48-0, Fax +49 (0)421/168 48-10, Email: [email protected]
*Solmecke, Christian, Wilde & Beuger, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 15, 50672 Köln, Germany, Tel. +49 (0) 221 951563-20, Fax +49 (0) 221 951563-3, Email: [email protected]


*Hungary*


*Dallos, Zsolt, Elite Defense, Email: [email protected]

*Israel*

*Klinger, Jonathan J., 8 King Saul St. Tel Aviv Tel: +972-52-3436436 Fax: +972-3-6093607 Email: [email protected]

*Lichtenstein, Yoram 3a Jabotinsky St., Ramat Gan Israel 52520 Tel.: 972-3-6133333 Fax.: 972-3-6133334 Email: [email protected]

*Netherlands*

*Alberdingk Thijm, Christiaan, SOLV Advocaten P.O. Box 75538 1070 AM Amsterdam Chippers 1-3 1011 TR Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 20 5300160 F +31 20 5300170 M +31 6 25017 235 E [email protected]
Additional attorneys may be found at Electronic Frontier Foundation Subpoena Defense .

Commentary & discussion:

MSN ("How to Survive the Worst PC Disasters")


Another copy of this directory, with a permanent link, is published at info.riaalawsuits.us/directory.htm

Keywords: digital copyright online download upload peer to peer p2p file sharing filesharing music movies indie label freeculture creative commons pop/rock artists riaa independent mp3 cd favorite songs

Stipulated preservation order in Malibu v Doe 16 cv 1325 SDNY

After some negotiation, the parties entered into a stipulated preservation order in Malibu Media v. Doe, a Southern District of New York case:
January 27, 2017, Stipulated Preservation Order, Hon. Jesse M. Furman, District Judge

Judge Locke denies motion to quash in Malibu Media v Doe, stay lifted

In Malibu Media v. Doe, EDNY 15-3504, Judge Locke has denied the defendant's motion to quash, and lifted the stay on all of the EDNY Malibu Media cases, which had all been consolidated.

The Court accepted the representations of plaintiff's expert, a Michael Patzer of a company called Excipio, that Malibu relies on "direct detection" rather than "indirect detection", and that it is "not possible" for there to be misidentification.

Memorandum Decision of Magistrate Judge Locke denying motion to quash

Second Circuit rules for Vimeo on DMCA issues in Capitol Records v Vimeo

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has overturned those parts of the District Court's rulings which were in favor of the plaintiff record companies in Capitol Records v. Vimeo.

The Court decided three major issues under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

1. It totally rejected the 2011 report of the US Copyright Office, upon which the District Court had relied, which had concluded that pre-1972 recordings are not subject to the DMCA. The Court went into great detail as to the Copyright Office's errors in interpreting the Copyright Act.

2. It overturned the District Court's ruling that wherever the plaintiff could show that a Vimeo employee had at least partially viewed the infringing video, there was a factual issue on the subject of "red flag knowledge", therefore precluding summary judgment. The Court held that this was not itself a sufficient basis to require a trial, and remanded this issue to the District Court to reconsider it.

3. The Court affirmed the District Court's rejection of plaintiffs' argument that Vimeo had adopted a "policy" of willful blindness, reiterating the principle that willful blindness, like actual knowledge, must relate to specific infringements. The court also noted that plaintiff's evidence that such a "policy" had been adopted, consisting of a "handful of sporadic instances", did not rise to the level of showing such a policy.

Decision of US Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, June 16, 2016

Commentary & discussion:

Slashdot
Ars Technica
Deep Links Blog (Electronic Frontier Foundation)

All EDNY subpoenas stayed by Judge Locke, due to "serious questions" raised by motion to quash

A motion to quash was made by one of the many John Doe defendants in the Eastern District of New York Malibu Media cases.

The defendant was represented by Chejin Park, Esq., of Flushing.

Due to the "serious questions as to whether good cause exists in these actions to permit ... expedited pre-answer discovery", the Court, by Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke, before whom all of the Eastern District cases are consolidated, decided to stay all pre-answer discovery until his determination of the motion to quash.

Motion to quash
October 6, 2015, Order of Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke

Commentary & discussion:

FightCopyTrolls
Slashdot

Judge Hellerstein denies Malibu Media discovery motion

In a recent decision in the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, in Malibu Media v. Doe, 15 CV 4369 AKH, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein has denied Malibu Media's ex parte motion for permission to serve a subpoena on the internet service provider.


July 6, 2015, Decision of Hon. Alvin K. Hellerstein, denying ex parte motion for discovery

Judge Hellerstein reasoned as follows:

First, it is doubtful whether Malibu has in fact established a prima facie claim here. A prima facie copyright infringement claim consists of two elements: (1) ownership of a valid copyright, and (2) copying of constituent elements of the work that are original. See Feist Publ’ns, Inc. v. Rural Tel. Serv. Co., Inc. 499 U.S. 3400, 361 (1991). As Judge Marrero observed in Next Phase Distribution, Inc. v. John Does 1-27, 284 F.R.D. 165, 171 (S.D.N.Y. 2012), “if the Motion Picture is considered obscene, it may not be eligible for copyright protection.” Further, even if Malibu’s copyrights are valid, Malibu has not established a violation by the individual to whom the relevant IP address is registered. As Judge Oetken explains,

[t]he fact that a copyrighted work was illegally downloaded from a certain IP address does not necessarily mean that the owner of that IP address was the infringer. Indeed, the true infringer could just as easily be a third party who had access to the internet connection, such as a son or daughter, houseguest, neighbor, or customer of a business offering internet connection.

Patrick Collin[s], Inc. v. Does 1-6, No. 12-cv-2964, 2012 WL 2001957, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. June 1, 2012) (internal citations omitted); see also In re BitTorrent Adult Film Copyright Infringement Cases, 296 F.R.D. 80, 84 (E.D.N.Y. 2012) (“[T]he assumption that the person who pays for Internet access at a given location is the same individual who allegedly downloaded a single sexually explicit film is tenuous, and one that has grown more so over time.”); Digital Sin, Inc. v. John Does 1-176, 279 F.R.D. 239, 242 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) (Judge Nathan finding that approximately 30% of John Does identified by their internet service providers are not the individuals who actually downloaded the allegedly infringing films). The risk of misidentification is great in a world with ubiquitous Wi-Fi, and given courts’ concerns that these sorts of allegations - especially by this plaintiff - are likely to coerce even innocent defendants into settling, the risk of misidentification is important to protect against.

And even if Plaintiff could definitively trace the BitTorrent activity in question to the IP-registrant, Malibu conspicuously fails to present any evidence that John Doe either uploaded, downloaded, or even possessed a complete copyrighted video file. (See Compl. i1 24 ("IPP International UG downloaded from Defendant one or more bits of each file hash listed on Exhibit A.") (emphasis added); Fieser Deel. i115 ("Our software downloaded one or more bits of each file hash listed on Exhibit A from the IP address referenced on Exhibit A.")). Another district court has noted that

[i]ndividual BitTorrent file pieces are worthless ... If it is the case that a Doe Defendant logged onto the BitTorrent swarm, downloaded and then uploaded a single piece to the IPP server, and then logged off, all he has done is transmit an unusable fragment of the copyrighted work. ... [T]he Court notes that Malibu's case is weak if all it can prove is that the Doe Defendants transmitted only part of all the BitT orrent pieces of the copyrighted work.

Malibu Media, LLC v. John Does 1-10, No. 12-cv-3623, 2012 WL 5382304, at *3 (C.D. Cal. June 27, 2012).

Finally, Plaintiffs assertion that there is no alternative means of obtaining the desired information is inadequate. The only support for it comes from the declaration of Patrick Paige who, as Magistrate Judge Fox found in a different case, lacks personal knowledge of the methodology used by ISPs to match the IP address with its registrant. Malibu Media, LLC v. John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 207.38.208.137, 15-cv-1883, ECF Doc. No. 16 (Apr. 10, 2015). The Paige declaration that Judge Fox found deficient nearly three months ago is identical to the Paige declaration submitted in support of this motion. It fares no better this time.

UMG v Grooveshark settled. No money judgment against individual defendants

UMG v. Escape Media, UMG's case against Grooveshark, has been settled just prior to trial.

Under the terms of the settlement a judgment for $50,000,000.00 will be entered against the corporation only, and the corporation will shut down its operations.

No money judgment is being entered against the individual defendants.

Stipulation and Consent Judgment and Permanent Injunction Entered May 1, 2015

Parameters set for statutory damages trial in UMG v Grooveshark

In UMG v. Escape Media, UMG's case against the Grooveshark founders, the judge has rendered a decision setting some of the parameters for the statutory damages trial scheduled to begin next Monday. The jury will be instructed that the maximum statutory damages is $150,000, not $30,000, per infringed work, due to the fact that the infringements were willful, but the parties will be able to introduce evidence on the degree of willfulness. Since there are 4907 works, that means the minimum damages that can be awarded is $3,680,250.00, and the maximum could be $736,050,000.00.

April 23, 2015, Decision, Ruling on In Limine Motions

Commentary & discussion:

"Grooveshark Faces a $736,050,000.00 Hammer…" (Digital Music News)
"Grooveshark Could be Fined $730 Million for Universal Music Group Lawsuit Damages" (Music Times)

Capitol Records has spent over $12 million in attorneys fees in Capitol v. MP3Tunes

In Capitol Records v. MP3Tunes, a recent decision partially granting plaintiff's attorneys fees motion, indicated that plaintiff has spent over $12 million in attorneys fees... so far.

April 3, 2015, Decision

[Ed. note. Is it just me, or don't you have to wonder where they got that money from?]

Arista v Grooveshark trial set to begin April 27th

A trial date has been set in one of the Grooveshark cases, Arista v. Escape Media. The trial will begin Monday, April 27th, in the courtroom of Judge Thomas P. Griesa, room 26B, at the federal courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, New York, New York

April 1, 2015, Order setting April 27th trial date