In a piracy lawsuit, filmmakers have requested a subpoena to reveal the identities of Reddit users who posted piracy-related content. According to the filmmakers, the comments can provide evidence that RCN, an internet service provider (ISP) does not have a policy to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.
We obtained a copy of the subpoena response motion for you here.
US copyright law states that ISPs should terminate the accounts of repeat copyright infringers under “appropriate circumstances.” However, many ISPs do not have such drastic policies, which has triggered several copyright infringement suits in recent years.
In 2021, RCN was sued by several filmmakers, including the makers of Hellboy, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and London Has Fallen. According to the rights holders, RCN was not making enough efforts to stop its subscribers from pirating.
RCN’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit was denied last October, Torrent Freak reported. To support their case, the filmmakers have gone as far as requiring Reddit to provide the details of accounts that discussed the pirating of content, mentioning RCN and other ISPs owned by Astound.
The filmmakers want to know the identities and IP addresses of several accounts, including “ben125125” and “ChikaraFan.”
Reddit is contesting the subpoenas and it told the filmmakers that it informed the users mentioned to contest the subpoenas. However, none of the users have filed official complaints objecting to the subpoenas.
