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MPAA is Awarded $110 Million In TorrentSpy Case

Posted by samzenpus on from the those-who-have-the-money-have-the-power dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The MPAA was awarded a staggering judgment in its case against the BitTorrent indexing site TorrentSpy. According to Slyck.com, a judge in California rendered a $110 million victory for the MPAA, and a permanent injunction against TorrentSpy."

9 of 523 comments (clear)

  1. What is the method of determining damages? by LockeOnLogic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The movie companies lost money due to torrentspy's activities, but what is the basis for such a monstrous monetary judgement? Magic eight ball? Numbers out of a hat? How on earth did the movie companies prove this level of loss? Gotta love hollywood accounting, astounding how movies can make nothing and everything at the same time.

  2. Re:No crime, but still punished. by urcreepyneighbor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    For example, I can go buy books with instructions on producing illegal substances, bombs, and weapons. Delta Press? Paladin Press?

    The days of Ragnar Benson have almost faded away into memory.

    The companies that used to publish "action books" have almost completely abandoned that genre.

    Does that make borders a criminal? You don't have to make something a "crime" to get rid of it. Read up on the Paladin Press / Hit Man incident.

    Can you imagine the firestorm if a company started publishing Paladin Press-style books today? In our post-9/11 world? Ha!
    --
    "The fight for freedom has only just begun." - Geert Wilders
  3. Re:*shrug* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No not fool, because now they have a judgement on record that is stupidly broad in the favour in defining 'infringement'.

    They've made INDEXING files illegal, please note they got nailed despite setting up services that let copyright holders take down stuff they owned.

    The Legal team over at google is looking at this and going 'oh fuck no'.

  4. I'm guessing that... by actionbastard · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The judge in this case, obviously, didn't have time to read this:

    http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/2008/02/default-judgment-denied-in-atlantic-v.html

    Chances of the judgement being overturned on appeal: 100%.

    --
    Sig this!
  5. Re:someone forgot to tell the immigrants by hairyfeet · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Actually, I know some of those whom you are speaking of. They live 6 to an apartment down the haul from me. Nice bunch of guys. When I asked them why they were living 6 to an apartment when they were making good money,they said "We're just going to stay here a few years and spend as little as we can while we sock our money away. Then we'll go back to Mexico and live like kings!",which is of course one of the problems we have right now. All our money is being sucked out like a black hole away from this country and without any tangible goods to sell it won't be coming back.


    And as for the software programmer who posted earlier? Just because you write a program doesn't mean you should get paid for 100+ years(or whatever the copyright is right now). There are plenty of ways to make money WITHOUT needing the government to support your business model with ever more draconian and intrusive laws. You can do work for hire,you can be paid to add features or do maintenance and support,etc. There are ways to make money out of the new business economy-it just takes work and smarts. But too many businesses with really big checkbooks would rather buy our laws rather than have to actually compete and innovate. Which is why IMHO we'll end up another third world fascist state while the rest of the world passes us by. But that is my 02c,YMMV

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  6. Re:Congrats MPAA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So they just absorbed any liability I have for infringement for using their site. If 4 people rob me, and steal $100, can I get verdicts against *each* of them for $100?

  7. And do you know *why* we're not invited? by Weaselmancer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Watch the video of our "offer".

    Bush turned this from a humanitarian offer to help into part of his "exporting freedom" routine. He wants to have our Navy set up there. He mentions political change.

    With what we've been up to lately, can you blame these people for saying no? I can't.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
    1. Re:And do you know *why* we're not invited? by jd · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I would have to say that skepticism of the US' intent is probably well-deserved. It's probably not the whole story, but given the limited value of destroyers in preservation - guns don't save people, people do, to misquote a popular phrase - and given that the "best" exit strategy at the moment seems to be a bigger crisis somewhere else, it's probably quite sufficient to make a great many people nervous.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  8. Re:Congrats MPAA... by jimicus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    And, according to Microsoft, the customer as well. Not sure how well that stands up in case law... Which has always struck me as a rather mob-handed way to do business.

    "Buy our product or we'll sue you!".