It’s one thing to be threatened with lawsuits if you’re illegally sharing content on the Web. It’s another to simply be a user of a video streaming site and get hit with legal threats, which is what happened to a significant amount of RedTube users in Europe. Earlier this month, thousands of RedTube viewers reportedly received legal notices demanding payment of 250 Euros (about $340) for supposedly violating copyright. Recipients could either pay the fine, or face further legal action. The Germany-based law firm behind the notices, U&C, sent them out on behalf of The Archive AG, a Swiss firm that claims to protect copyright holders.
Now, however, a German court has put the the trollish copyright letters on hold.
RedTube has been granted a temporary injunction against The Archive AG, which puts a stop to the letters demanding payment from RedTube viewers, for now. The injunction was granted by the Regional Court of Hamburg. U&C reportedly planned to send out over 10,000 letters, demanding that fines be paid for using the site.
RedTube Vice President Alex Taylor called the injunction a “victory” for all streaming site users.
“This decision is a victory not only for the users of RedTube, but for every person who visits streaming websites,” Taylor told TorrentFreak. “It is a clear message that the use of personal information and invasions of privacy for purely financial interests will not be tolerated.”
The Archive AG obtained the IP addresses of RedTube users from Germany’s Cologne Regional Court, which has since decided that it should not have ruled in the copyright firm’s favor. While the Court is expected to issue a final ruling on the matter soon, RedTube users in Europe can rest easy knowing that their ‘me time’ likely won’t cost them a pretty penny.
Image credit: herstwellness
