The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) – a global coalition dedicated to protecting creative content from most major content companies including Amazon, AMC, CBS, HBO, Hulu, MGM, NBC, 20th Century Fox, Netflix, and Warner Bros. — has won an anti-piracy lawsuit it filed against Omniverse One World Television, Inc.
Back in February, ACE members filed a lawsuit claiming that Omniverse was “illegally streaming copyrighted content.” They claimed that the service was providing several illicit piracy services with unauthorized, copyrighted content “undermining the legitimate streaming market.”
A judge in California seems to agree as a consent judgment has been passed and the owners of Omniverse owners have been ordered to cease all operations, refrain from starting similar services in the future and pay $50 million in damages.
“This judgment and injunction are a major win for creators, audiences, and the legitimate streaming market, which has been undermined by Omniverse and its ‘back office’ piracy infrastructure for years,” said Karen Thorland, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at the Motion Picture Association. “It also builds on recent ACE legal victories over illicit piracy operations, strengthening the legitimate market for film, video, and live TV that gives audiences more choices than ever while supporting millions of American jobs.”
The consent judgment follows a string of successful ACE actions against piracy device sellers and illegal streaming applications and services. These include legal victories and favorable settlements in the TickBox, Dragon Box, SetTVNow, and Vader Streams cases and the closure of several piracy applications and add-on services.