📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Record Labels Offer to Abandon $46.8 Million Piracy Case Against Grande
https://torrentfreak.com/record-labels-offer-to-abandon-46-8-million-piracy-case-against-grande/
The music industry’s long war against ISPs over copyright infringement just hit a major roadblock—and the labels are packing up their bags. Warner Bros., Sony, and co. are effectively offering to drop their $46.8 million piracy lawsuit against Grande Communications, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that fundamentally changed the legal landscape.
It all comes down to Cox v. Sony. Last March, the Supreme Court decided that internet providers aren’t automatically liable for contributory infringement just because they keep serving subscribers known to pirate content. Since that decision, the recording industry has dropped similar cases against Altice and Verizon. Now, facing the same legal reality, the labels argue there’s no point in continuing to litigate against Grande.
Grande, however, isn’t satisfied with a simple dismissal. The ISP wants a formal victory on the merits to clear its name and recover roughly $4 million in bond premiums it paid while appealing the original verdict. The labels are pushing back hard, accusing Grande of inflating costs and pointing out that the ISP owes them nearly $200,000 in earlier sanctions.
It’s now up to the Fifth Circuit to decide: will they let the case vanish quietly with each side paying its own bills, or grant Grande the definitive win it’s demanding? Either way, the era of holding ISPs strictly liable for subscriber piracy seems to be over.