![\"pirate-flag\"](\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pirate-flag-1.jpg\")
In recent years, music and movie companies have filed several lawsuits against U.S. Internet providers, for failing to take action against pirating subscribers. <\/p>\nIn recent years, music and movie companies have filed several lawsuits against U.S. Internet providers, for failing to take action against pirating subscribers. <\/p>\n
One of the main allegations is that the ISPs failed to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers in \u2018appropriate circumstances\u2019, as the DMCA requires.<\/p>\n
These lawsuits resulted in multi-million-dollar judgments against Cox and Grande. Meanwhile, other companies remained at risk, including Frontier Communications which emerged from bankruptcy three years ago. <\/p>\n
Frontier was fighting not one, but two legal battles. The troubled company faced a pair of similar piracy liability lawsuits filed by movie and music companies<\/a>. Both cases were scheduled to go to trial this spring, but that didn\u2019t happen. <\/p>\n Last month, we reported that the movie companies\u2019 lawsuit had been settled<\/a> on undisclosed terms. As a result, demands for pirate site blocking were also off the table. <\/p>\n This week, the music companies, including UMG, Sony Music and Warner Music, also reached a settlement with Frontier. In a notice submitted to the New York federal court, they informed the court that all claims are settled and can therefore be dismissed. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n The case was settled \u201cwith prejudice\u201d so the dismissed claims cannot be refiled in the future. It\u2019s a final resolution of the dispute, preventing all parties from bringing the same claims against each other again.<\/p>\n The settlement terms are not mentioned, so it\u2019s unknown whether there was any financial compensation; however, when it comes to the court proceedings, all parties agreed to bear their own costs. <\/p>\n The settlement arrives in the same week the U.S. Government took a position<\/a> in a legal battle between Internet provider Cox and several record labels. The U.S. recommended the Supreme Court to hear Cox\u2019s case, which seeks to overturn a liability ruling in favor of the music companies. <\/p>\n There is no reason to believe that the U.S. position impacted the Frontier lawsuit in any way. However, if the Supreme Court does indeed take on the matter, the eventual outcome will affect other piracy liability lawsuits against Internet providers. <\/p>\n Another recent development could also impact these cases. In the U.S., several lawmakers are working on site blocking legislation under which ISPs would be tasked with blocking access to pirate sites. According to recent information, some ISPs are open to this idea, provided they\u2019re granted \u201cretrospective immunity<\/a>\u201c.<\/p>\n The details of these background discussions are sparse, but ISPs may not see the benefit in voluntarily working towards a blocking plan if they\u2019re dealing with piracy liability lawsuits at the same time. <\/p>\n \u2014<\/em><\/p>\n A copy of the notice of settlement, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, is available here (pdf).<\/p>\n From: TF<\/a>, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.<\/p>\n![\"settled\"](\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/settlenot.jpg\")
<\/center><\/p>\nChange Afoot?<\/h2>\n