🚨MeepCity-Roblox lawsuit update!
This is the copyright lawsuit against Roblox and Alex Newtron, the owner of the Roblox game MeepCity. The plaintiff alleges that the game used his recording of the old song, Maple Leaf Rag. Alex defaulted on the lawsuit.
So... Roblox moved to dismiss the copyright claims against it. Among other things, Roblox claimed that the suit fails because:
➡️ It didn't actually infringe the copyright, since it merely operates a platform that allows users to upload content.
➡️ The copyright claim is time-barred.
➡️ It did not know about the copyright infringement so cannot be liable for contributory copyright infringement.
➡️ It did not receive a financial benefit from the infringement so cannot be liable for vicarious copyright infringement.
➡️ It is protected by the DMCA safe harbor.
‼️ The Court issued its order dismissing the contributory copyright infringement claim, but allowing the direct copyright claim and the vicarious copyright claim to move forward.
🤔 Does that mean the plaintiff will prevail against Roblox? No, I doubt it.
The order allowing those claims to stay in the case were based on the procedural posture of the case.
I still think Roblox will likely prevail on the merits.
💸 But now the parties are going to blow through hundreds of thousands on attorney fees to get to the merits of the case.
❓ Will Roblox settle the case because it is cheaper to settle than pay its attorneys?
❓Or will Roblox fight this tooth and nail to send a message to other potential plaintiffs?
I'll bet on the latter.
Who wins in cases like these? Nobody. Well, the lawyers do. But for the parties, its just a cash bbq!
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