TorrentSpy hit with $110m judgement

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 8 May 2008 at 10:13

A federal judge has ordered the TorrentSpy file-sharing site to pay the Motion Picture Association of America $110 million for infringement of thousands of copyrighted film and TV shows.

In a four-page ruling Judge Florence-Marie Cooper entered the judgement against TorrentSpy's parent company, Valence Media, for wilfully inducing, contributing and allowing copyright infringement on its website.

Cooper also issued a permanent injunction against the website, which shut down on 24 March.

The MPAA, which represents the Hollywood studios, filed suit against TorrentSpy in February 2006, claiming that the site's torrent files were illegally uploaded.

"This substantial money judgment sends a strong message about the illegality of these sites," MPAA chairman Dan Glickman says. "The demise of TorrentSpy is a clear victory for the studios."

Whether the MPAA will collect the $110 million from TorrentSpy remains to be seen. Court records show that Valence and TorrentSpy principles Justin Bunnell and Wes Parker have filed for bankruptcy.