MPAA Claims Victory in Hotfile Piracy Case

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida found Hotfile, one of the world’s most trafficked infringing sites, liable for copyright infringement.

It rejected Hotfile’s defense under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and held that its principal, Anton Titov, was personally liable for the infringement. Chris Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, cheered the decision on behalf of member studios. This case marks the first time that a U.S. court has ruled on whether so-called cyberlockers can be held liable for their infringing business practices.