Court rules against Universal Music in Veoh case
Court Alerts
A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled against Universal Music Group in a copyright lawsuit against online video site operator Veoh Networks Inc., although Universal says it will appeal.
U.S. District Judge Howard Matz on Friday dismissed the 2007 suit in which Universal accused Veoh of supporting and inducing copyright infringement.
Matz ruled that Veoh was taking reasonable steps to prevent and take down infringing videos uploaded by its users and that gave it protection from copyright suits in federal law.
Veoh CEO Dmitry Shapiro called the decision "a great victory." The company noted that with the ruling, it expects to become profitable within the next two quarters.
The lawsuit cost "many millions of dollars" to defend, money that would now be reinvested in the business, he said.
"We've been dragging a giant boulder on a chain. This frees us," Shapiro said. "This lawsuit was simply Universal's attempt to prevent innovation and shut down the company."
Privately held Veoh was founded in 2004 and to date has raised $70 million from such investors as Shelter Capital Partners, Michael Eisner, Goldman Sachs, Time Warner Inc., Intel Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc.
Universal, a unit of France's Vivendi SA, said it will appeal the decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying it runs counter to precedent and the intent of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act enacted in 1998.
Related listings
-
King children return to court in estate dispute
Court Alerts 09/14/2009The surviving children of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King are back in court, wrangling over their parents' estates. The Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III sued their brother, Dexter King, last year to force him to ope...
-
Official: 2 men settle suits alleging priest abuse
Court Alerts 09/14/2009Two men who filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually abused by a former priest have reached settlements with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, a newspaper reported Sunday. Monsignor Mark Plewka of the diocese confirmed the settlements with a ma...
-
Oregon crash defendant tries to make amends
Court Alerts 09/11/2009No one disputes that Jack Alvord, driving drunk, struck a blind man on a sidewalk and then drove off. Still, even the prosecutor and the victim agree that Alvord has gone to great lengths to make amends. Alvord pleaded guilty last month to drunken dr...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.