Operators of pirated content sites handed substantial judgment for intentionally infringing copyrights
The IPA is pleased to report that a United States federal court has found the operators of a massive global piracy ring liable for intentionally infringing copyrights, awarding the maximum damages allowed under US law. In Elsevier Inc. v. Victor Kozlov and Pavel Kazutsin, a joint action brought by the global publishing industry, it was revealed that defendants’ sites – Avaxhome, Avaxsearch and other sites – were illegally providing instant access to complete digital copies of millions of popular books, movies, music, games, television programs, software, magazines, newspapers and other copyrighted content. Titles from 16,000 book publishers from many countries were available through the sites, which make money through advertising and registration fees.
IPA Secretary General Jens Bammel said “online piracy is a massive, global problem, posing a significant threat to authors, artists, musicians, producers and publishers. Sites like these deprive creative artists of their livelihoods, destroying jobs and culture. The IPA and its members supported this lawsuit to highlight the scale of international online piracy and the dangers it represents.”
The judge, sitting in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, entered a $37.5 million default judgment for willful infringement and handed down a permanent injunction against future infringements after defendants acknowledged the suit but did not contest the overwhelming case against them for intentional infringement. The judge cited the goal of deterring and discouraging the defendants and other operators of similar sites that openly engage in and promote copyright infringement.
Paul Doda, Chairman of the IPA’s Copyright Committee said the ruling was “good news for content creators. This sophisticated and massive illegal enterprise has harmed many thousands of creators and copyright holders around the world. The judge’s ruling sends a strong message and will go a long way in discouraging this kind of illegal activity.”
The IPA’s Anti-Piracy Working Group, which coordinates the international publishing industry’s response to online piracy, will work to enforce the judgment against the defendants by various means.
Note to editors:
The International Publishers Association is the international federation of national publishers associations, representing all aspects of book and journal publishing from around the world. IPA is an industry association with a human rights mandate. It fights against censorship and promotes copyright, literacy and freedom to publish, around the world. www.internationalpublishers.org
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