A German appellate court has upheld a previous ruling against YouTube-DL's web hosting provider, reinforcing the music industry's ongoing efforts to combat stream-ripping services.

Hamburg, Germany. Photo Credit: Claudio Testa

The Hamburg Appeal Court's final decision maintains both the injunction requiring the host to stop providing services to YouTube-DL and the original damages order. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and Germany's Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) initially secured this ruling in April 2023.

YouTube-DL, a software tool that enables users to download audio from YouTube videos, has been targeted by the music industry for allegedly facilitating the unauthorized downloading of copyrighted music content. The court's decision cannot be appealed further.

The IFPI emphasized that this ruling sends a clear message to both stream-ripping service operators and online intermediaries that facilitating illegal downloading activities will have consequences.

This case represents part of a broader global crackdown on stream-ripping services:

• Courts in India and the UK have ordered ISPs to block several stream-ripping services
• U.S. litigation has resulted in blocking access to Russia-based FLVTO.biz
• Recent focus has expanded to combat fake streaming services
• Canadian authorities conducted stream manipulation takedowns in March
• German courts ordered the shutdown of PimpYourFollower.de in August

Despite these legal victories, new services continue to emerge rapidly. For example, after PimpYourFollower.de's shutdown, a similar platform called RatingHero24.de quickly appeared, highlighting the ongoing challenges in combating digital music piracy.

This decision reinforces the music industry's commitment to protecting licensed platforms and ensuring proper revenue distribution to artists and rightsholders.

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