Verizon was hit with a $2.6 billion lawsuit by major music record labels for providing its internet services "to a massive community of online pirates."
In the complaint filed in a New York court last Friday, Universal, Warner Music, and Sony accused Verizon of ignoring previous copyright infringement notices as it continues to provide high-speed connection to "known repeat infringers."
Verizon Faces Billion Dollars' Worth of Legal Trouble from Copyright Owners
The record labels claimed that at least 17,335 titles from multiple recording studios. The claimants demand Verizon to pay damages up to $150,000 for each licensed work infringed.
Verizon has yet to issue a formal statement about the recent lawsuit.
If the lawsuit passes initial court reviews, this could be the second time Verizon may need to settle a billion-dollar lawsuit for violating the Digital Millenium Copyright Act regarding its customers.
Internet providers Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast settled similar billion-dollar lawsuits in 2022 from "Dallas Buyers Club" production studio Voltage Pictures and other copyright owners.
Digital Piracy Surges Amid Streaming Price Hikes
While it is nothing new anymore for companies to sue telecom companies for providing services related to digital piracy, the massive lawsuit marks solid action from copyright owners to protect their intellectual properties amid the surge of digital piracy.
A recent study even indicated a big increase in online traffic for digital piracy websites since 2019 as people find cheaper alternatives amid subscription fee increasess in legal streaming platforms.+
It is estimated that the websites receive at least 385 million visits each day, many of which host pirated TV and film content.
This coincides with earlier reports of "streaming fatigue" as people complain about rising subscription prices at a time when a huge part of the population is facing steep inflations.
