We're wondering how long Torrentspy can survive. The free ride looks like being over, with US authorities wanting up to US$30,000 in compensation per film. That's an expensive download.
A judge in a Los Angeles Federal court has awarded the MPAA some $110 million in compensation from Torrentspy operator Valence Media.
The MPAA has been pursuing Torrentspy for a couple of years and the site was closed in March after being hounded by the MPAA and running out of money
Now the judge has ordered the outfit to pay compensation of $30,000 per copyright infringement and reckons the fee applies to some 3,699 films and TV shows. That comes to some $110,970,000.
Torrentspy was also accused of hiding or deleting data that might have led the autrhorities to individual file-sharers, a charge the outfit denied.
For Dan Glickman, Chairman and CEO of the MPAA, “The demise of Torrentspy is a clear victory for the studios and demonstrates that such pirate sites will not be allowed to continue to operate without facing relentless litigation by copyright holders.”
Torrentspy said it will appeal against the damages.