Major motion picture studios have been awarded $110 million judgment against TorrentSpy operator Valence Media today in Los Angeles for infringing rights in movies and television programs.
The federal District Court late last year entered a default order against Valence. Its Web site was shut down in March. This judgment now puts a price tag on that default.
The court found Valence liable for all three forms of secondary copyright infringement: willful inducement of copyright infringement, contributory infringement and vicarious infringement.
“This substantial money judgment sends a strong message about the illegality of these sites,” said Dan Glickman, chairman/CEO of the Motion Picture Assn. of America. “The demise of TorrentSpy is a clear victory for the studios, and demonstrates that such pirate sites will not be allowed to continue to operate without facing relentless litigation by copyright holders.”
The court also issued a permanent injunction prohibiting Valence from engaging in any activity that encourages, promotes or solicits, or knowingly facilitates, enables or assists copyright infringement.
