lS LlablllLy for Subscrlber

lnfrlngemenLs
8y
ChrlsLopher Sabec
Cvervlew
!"# %&' (#)*+
eer-Lo-peer plracy ls 42 of all norLh Amerlcan
upload Lramc.
!"# ,--' (#)*+
uS Law makes plracy lllegal.
nobody ls legally enuLled Lo paruclpaLe ln plracy
wlLh lmpunlLy -- noL even lSs.
!"# ,.#&/ (#)*+
8lghLs holders can hold lSs accounLable.
2
AbsenL Lhe uMCA,
lSs 8lsk 3rd arLy LlablllLy
0-(-12*& 13 4"#..5 6789-(
Cherry Aucuon ran a swap meeL ln lresno.
vendors pald a fee ln exchange for booLh space.
Cherry Aucuon repeaLedly leased space Lo vendors
who sold counLerfelL recordlngs.
lonovlsa repeaLedly warned--and evenLually sued--
Cherry Aucuon.
LsLabllshed Lhe concepLs of conLrlbuLory and
vlcarlous copyrlghL lnfrlngemenL aL Lhe appellaLe
level.
3
lonovlsa's 1wo 1esLs
vlcarlous LlablllLy
2 prong LesL
8e ln a posluon Lo sLop Lhe lnfrlngemenL.
uerlve a nanclal beneL from Lhe lnfrlnger.
ConLrlbuLory LlablllLy -
2 prong LesL
Pave knowledge of Lhe lnfrlngemenL.
MaLerlally conLrlbuLe Lo Lhe lnfrlngemenL.
4
LnLer Lhe uMCA
laced wlLh Lhe specLer of 3
rd
parLy llablllLy, lSs
wenL Lo Congress.
SoughL a shleld from llablllLy.
lSs hlL Lhe [ackpoL wlLh Lhe 4 uMCA safe harbors.
noLe well:
lSs knew Lhey had llablllLy.
?ou don'L hlre lobbylsLs and wage a leglslauve
baule for exempuon from llablllLy you don'L
Lhlnk you have.
3
17 u.S. Code 312 (a) Lhrough (d)
1he lour Safe Parbors

uMCA safe harbors provlde proLecuon from 3
rd
parLy llablllLy for:

A. 1ranslLory ulglLal neLwork Communlcauons (1ransmlmng),
8. SysLem Cachlng (Cachlng),
C. lnformauon 8esldlng on SysLems or neLworks aL Lhe
ulrecuon of users (SLorlng),
u. lnformauon Locauon 1ools (Llnklng)
6
17 u.S. Code 312 (a) Lhrough (d)
1he lour Safe Parbors
Secuon 312(a) Servlce rovlders -- "CondulLs"
lSs
Law has yeL Lo develop.
Secuon 312(c) Servlce rovlders -- "Posung Servlces"
?ou1ube, M3Lunes, Corbls, eLc.
Where all Lhe currenL law resldes.
lSs favorlLe sLraw man:
"We don'L hosL, so Lhere's noLhlng for us Lo Lake down."
no argumenL Lhere!
Seem Lo be saylng LhaL 312(c) ls Lhe only recourse for rlghLs
holders and slnce lSs are noL covered by 312(c), Lhey need Lake
no acuon.
lSs seem Lo be lmplylng /"#2. Safe Parbor ls uncondluonal.
7
Safe Parbors Are noL uncondluonal
8efore a servlce provlder can Lake advanLage of any of Lhe four
safe harbors, lL musL meeL Lhe requlremenLs of Secuon 312(l).
1hls requlremenL ls a prerequlslLe for every uMCA safe harbor and
ls a fundamenLal safeguard for copyrlghL owners.
"urpose of Lhe condluons for ellglblllLy provlslon of Lhe uMCA ls
Lo deny proLecuon Lo servlce provlders LhaL LoleraLe users who
agranLly dlsrespecL copyrlghLs" (4&:2/-; <#8-.'* 13 =>?/7(#*@3
CLher courLs have descrlbed enforcemenL of Lhls provlslon as
essenual Lo malnLaln Lhe 'sLrong lncenuves' for servlce provlders
Lo prevenL Lhelr servlces from becomlng safe havens or condulLs
for known repeaL copyrlghL lnfrlngers" A>#.B#8/ CD 13 45%#.(#/
E#(/7.#*@3
8
17 u.S. Code 312(l)
4-('29-(* B-. F&B# G&.%-. H;2,2%2;2/5
(l) Condluons for LllglblllLy.
(1) Accommodauon of Lechnology.- 1he llmlLauons on
llablllLy esLabllshed by Lhls secuon shall apply Lo a servlce
provlder only lf Lhe servlce provlder-
(A) has adopLed and reasonably lmplemenLed, and
lnforms subscrlbers and accounL holders of Lhe servlce
provlder's sysLem or neLwork of, a pollcy LhaL provldes
for Lhe Lermlnauon ln approprlaLe clrcumsLances of
subscrlbers and accounL holders of Lhe servlce provlder's
sysLem or neLwork who are repeaL lnfrlngers, and
(8) accommodaLes and does noL lnLerfere wlLh sLandard
Lechnlcal measures.
9
1wo Condluons
!"#$%#&% ()*+$,*#- .)#/0&)/1
8efers Lo means by whlch copyrlghL owners may
ldenufy or proLecL copyrlghLed works.
lSs can'L LhwarL eorLs Lo pollce copyrlghLs.
2)3)#" 4$5&,$6)& 78-,*91
6'-:/ & :-;285 LhaL LermlnaLes ln approprlaLe
clrcumsLances subscrlbers who are repeaL
lnfrlngers,
I(B-.J /"#2. *7%*8.2%#.* and accounL holders of Lhls
pollcy, and
<#&*-(&%;5 2J:;#J#(/ Lhls pollcy.
10
CompllanL 8epeaL lnfrlnger ollcles
ln 4-.%2* 13 6J&K-(, Lhe CourL descrlbes a
properly adopLed lS lnfrlngemenL pollcy as one
LhaL:
Conveys Lo subscrlbers LhaL Lhere ls a reallsuc
LhreaL of loslng Lhelr access Lo Lhe lnLerneL" as
a resulL of repeaLed lnfrlngemenL.
uoes noL LoleraLe agranL or blaLanL copyrlghL
lnfrlngemenL by lLs users.
uoes noL say Lhelr access Lo conLenL."
11
WhaL ls a 8epeaL lnfrlnger?
lSs musL provlde for Lermlnauon ln approprlaLe clrcumsLances of "repeaL lnfrlngers".
WhaL ls a repeaL lnfrlnger?
noL really dened ln Lhe sLaLuLe.
1he plaln language of Lhe sLaLuLe would supporL an lnLerpreLauon LhaL a repeaL lnfrlnger ls
someone who lnfrlnges repeaLedly.
WhaL courLs have sald ls:
Servlce provlders LhaL "fall Lo LermlnaLe users desplLe Lhelr perslsLenL and agranL
lnfrlngemenL are noL ellglble for proLecuon under Lhe safe harbor" (4&:2/-; <#8-.'* 13
=>?/7(#*).
users "who know Lhey lack auLhorlzauon and neverLheless upload conLenL for Lhe world
Lo experlence and copy" are blaLanL lnfrlngers LhaL lnLerneL servlce provlders are
obllgaLed Lo ban"(4&:2/-; <#8-.'* 13 =>?/7(#*).
ln Corbls, Lhe CourL gave as an example of blaLanL, repeaL lnfrlngemenL !"# %&#'()* %+
",)-'#-. %+ /,-(% 01#. +%' 2##' !% 2##' 3%24()*.
Some lSs wlll argue lL means %)14 an lnLerneL subscrlber LhaL has been ad[udlcaLed by a
courL as gullLy of lnfrlngemenL (presumably Lwlce).
noL aware of any courL LhaL has ascrlbed Lhls meanlng.
ln[uncuve rellef probably renders Lhls lnLerpreLauon mooL.
12
Why uoes 1hls Mauer?
eer-Lo-peer plracy ls 42 of all norLh Amerlcan upload Lramc!
lncludes movles, vldeo games, soware, and books.
lorecasL LhaL Lhls Lo grow ln Lhe by 170 by 2016.
CurrenLly Lracklng more Lhan 300,000 subscrlbers on Lhe Lop 3 lSs:
Who are blaLanLly and repeaLedly dlsLrlbuung our cllenLs' copyrlghLs.
uesplLe muluple noucauons Lo Lhe lSs of Lhese lnfrlngemenLs.
noL slmply slngle songs, buL compleLe movles, enure albums, and full
dlscographles conLalnlng hundreds of les.
1hls conunues desplLe Lhe law (and desplLe Lhe lSs' own pollcles).
1hls should noL be happenlng:
4-7./* "&1# "#;' /"&/ *"-)2(, & *#.128# :.-12'#. B&2;* /- /#.J2(&/# )"#( 2/
"&* *7L82#(/ #12'#(8# /- 8.#&/# &8/7&; M(-);#',# -B .#:#&/ 2(B.2(,#J#(/ 2*
*7L82#(/ /- :.-1# /"# 2(&'#N7&85 -B & .#:#&/ 2(B.2(,#. :-;285 7('#. OCPA2@3
1he exlsung law ls good, lL [usL needs Lo be enforced.
13
WhaL ls Lhe Soluuon?
We wanL Lo encourage Lhe rlghLs holders Lo hold
lSs accounLable for repeaL lnfrlngemenL of Lhelr
conLenL by seeklng Lermlnauon of repeaL lnfrlngers.
1here ls mlsconcepuon LhaL Lhe lSs won'L do Lhls,
buL we have found LhaL many of Lhem wlll.
8elleve lL or noL, some lSs even agree wlLh us!
noL Lheoreucal:
Q# &.# *788#**B7; #1#.5 '&5 )2/" /"2* &.,7J#(/3
=-.# /"&( CRD IF>* /"&/ &.# &8/7&;;5 *7*:#('2(,
.#:#&/ 2(B.2(,#.*3
14
1hank you.

5"'(.!%2"#' 6/7#3
4HS


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