AfterDawn: News

Torrent uploader hit with $32 million lawsuit over UFC content

UFC parent Zuffa has sued a major torrent uploader, seeking $32 million in damages.

Going by the online handle "Secludedly," the uploader allegedly uploaded 124 UFC events to popular sites like The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents. Zuffa has accused the man of copyright infringement, fraud, breach of contract, and more.



Steven A. Messina, aka Secludedly, is a 27-year-old from Staten Island, New York, is one of three defendants of the suit, as well as an unknown business entity.

"Defendants have, on over 124 occasions, used the torrent websites known as kickass.to and thepiratebay.se to upload, distribute and publicly display the Broadcasts to the users of said websites," the lawsuit states. Secludedly also accepted PayPal donations for his work, thus profiting off the copyright infringement.

Seeking damages of $150,000 per infringement, the company also alleges that the uploader violated the Federal Communications Act willfully, and is asking for an additional $110,000 per infringement. The total is $32.2 million. "Defendants, wishing to use Plaintiff's Broadcasts for their own commercial gain, surreptitiously gained access to Plaintiff's Broadcasts by purchasing the programming through their satellite TV provider, without proper authorization, at residential rates, and subsequently copying the Broadcasts and uploading them to the users of the websites known as kickass and thepiratebay.se" adds the suit.

The final count is for breach of contract, since the uploader broke the terms and conditions of the purchased PPV events.

Source:
TorrentFreak

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 4 May 2014 0:17

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• 7 comments

• Mysttic

  Well, they can ask for $32 million, but it doesn't mean they will get it. That's not even seeking the costs of legal fees either. So it's technically (+)$32 mill. Likely this case will win too if they can prove paypal payments came directly from a 3rd party site accepting donations for UFC content. Should that be the case, good on him for getting caught; he deserves whatever outcome. It's one thing to file-share, it's another to file-sell.

  4.5.2014 06:50 #1

• xboxdvl2

  Quote: Secludedly also accepted PayPal donations for his work, thus profiting off the copyright infringement. he got donations he didn't sell anything.
  

  custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.

  4.5.2014 13:32 #2

• KillerBug

  If he is so broke that he was willing to expose himself to get donations by PAYPAL they may as well just sue him for 100 trillion because they are not going to get anywhere near a million even if they stretch it out over 40 years.
  

  
  

  4.5.2014 21:51 #3

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by xboxdvl2: Quote: Secludedly also accepted PayPal donations for his work, thus profiting off the copyright infringement. he got donations he didn't sell anything.
  He profited from it...doesn't matter if he required payment from others or not.

  4.5.2014 22:15 #4

• Mrguss

  Originally posted by KillerBug: If he is so broke that he was willing to expose himself to get donations by PAYPAL they may as well just sue him for 100 trillion because they are not going to get anywhere near a million even if they stretch it out over 40 years. To do thing like him. it's better to move to a country where U.S. laws haven't juridiccion & run "The thing" from there.
  
  How about to run a website register on one of those countries, run it from U.S. & masking the real ip address .
  
  Sound too risky but can be possible ?
  

  Live Free or Die.
  The rule above all the rules is: Survive !
  Capitalism: Funnel most of the $$$ to the already rich.

  5.5.2014 15:47 #5

• MagengarZ

  Originally posted by Mrguss: Originally posted by KillerBug: If he is so broke that he was willing to expose himself to get donations by PAYPAL they may as well just sue him for 100 trillion because they are not going to get anywhere near a million even if they stretch it out over 40 years. To do thing like him. it's better to move to a country where U.S. laws haven't juridiccion & run "The thing" from there.
  
  How about to run a website register on one of those countries, run it from U.S. & masking the real ip address .
  
  Sound too risky but can be possible ? That sounds Easier said than done; and it isn't for everyone.
  A user would have to be seriously hardcore Damn GOOD to try and pull that off without getting caught.
  Who wants to go through the rest of their lives being sued for doing something like this!
  Avoid all the legal headaches and stay out of that territory.
  It's just Not worth tall that hassle.

  10.5.2014 02:31 #6

• MagengarZ

  I use KAT for sharing stuff with friends and fans in my circle of anime hobbyists; and I also rely on KAT as an avenue for sharing my own Original stuff...
  ...there are other torr sites I could use, but KAT does their best to remain highly strict and well organized.
  I would rather see this guy go down for what he has been trying to do through KAT, rather than have the feds shut down KAT just because of something so stupid as what this guy was doing.
  His actions could have caused KAT to get shut down.

  10.5.2014 02:36 #7