Altice Faces Ongoing Warner Music Copyright Battle Despite BMG Settlement
Internet service provider Altice USA settled a copyright infringement lawsuit with BMG in August, but continues to face legal challenges from Warner Music Group (WMG) in a separate case filed in December 2023.
The ongoing WMG lawsuit, which includes Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and their subsidiaries, alleges Altice failed to address repeat copyright infringement by its subscribers.
Altice headquarters against clouds
Key Developments:
- Plaintiffs filed a motion to compel additional discovery, claiming Altice has only produced 1,408 documents in eight months
- They request the court order Altice to produce all discovery materials from the BMG lawsuit within 10 days
- Altice opposes the request, calling it "pure overreach" that would create "needless distraction and expense"
- The court scheduled a September 9th hearing on the discovery motion
This case reflects a broader trend of copyright battles between music companies and ISPs:
- Verizon faced a new complaint in July
- Cox Communications is taking its infringement case to the Supreme Court
- Cox's case approaches its five-year anniversary of a significant jury verdict
Altice logo against dark city skyline
Altice office building, six stories high
The dispute continues despite the case being ordered into mediation in May, highlighting the ongoing tension between music rights holders and internet service providers over copyright enforcement responsibilities.
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