Record labels sue internet service provider for copyright infringement

The world's three largest record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music, among others, have filed a lawsuit against Internet service provider Verizon in the District Court of New York. They accuse Verizon of enabling and profiting from copyright infringement by tens of thousands of its subscribers.

Verizon Wireless, which includes Verizon Communications, Verizon Services and Cellco Partnership, is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States, which provides communications and technology services, including broadband Internet, mobile telephony and television.

The labels claim to have sent hundreds of thousands of notices to Verizon pointing out specific customers who repeatedly infringe copyrights through online file sharing. Furthermore, they suggest that infringing subscribers were attracted by Verizon's lax copyright infringement policies, as well as its fast Internet speeds, which facilitated the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols. This created an environment conducive to infringement.

In addition, they argue that under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), if an entity provides substantial assistance to another entity that it knows is infringing, that entity is liable for the infringement as if it had directly infringed. Therefore, although Verizon was notified of the repeat infringers, it continued to provide them with its high-speed service instead of taking action to stop them. Verizon should be held liable for the infringements of its users. 

As evidence, they have submitted documents listing more than 17,000 songs that they claim have been infringed, including works by famous artists such as Madonna, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder, among others. The companies are seeking damages of up to $150,000 per infringement, with a total claim of around $2.6 billion.