Charter Communications says labels’ vicarious infringement claim will “open the floodgates”

[MrFredPFL]

Story : https://completemusicupdate.com/article/charter-communications-says-labels-vicar

US internet service provider Charter Communications has told a court that if it is held liable for vicarious infringement simply because it advertised its high net speeds, the floodgates will be opened for a flurry of copyright claims against all internet providers.

Charter is one of the ISPs fighting a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association Of America.

These legal battles follow the landmark ruling in the BMG v Cox Communications case, in which a court decided that Cox could not rely on safe harbour protection under US copyright law because it had a deliberately shoddy system for dealing with repeat infringers. That meant Cox could be held liable for its users unlicensed distribution of BMG’s songs.

The RIAA is now suing Cox, Charter and Grande Communications, and although all three ISPs have fought back, things have mainly been going in the labels’ favour as all three cases have worked their way through the motions.