Streaming video company Justin.tv has quietly settled a copyright lawsuit brought by Zuffa's Ultimate Fighting Championships, according to court records.
The companies filed
papers last week stating that they had reached a deal and asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The settlement resolves a legal dispute that began
last January, when UFC sued Justin.tv in federal court in Nevada. UFC argued that Justin.tv was liable for infringement by users on the theory that it didn't take proactive steps to prevent people
from uploading pirated streams.
Web companies typically defend themselves against these types of allegations by arguing that they are protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's safe
harbor provisions. It says Web sites are immune from liability for infringing material uploaded by users as long as the sites remove material upon request.
But UFC, which offers paid
broadcasts of wrestling matches and kickboxing competitions, alleged in its lawsuit that Justin.tv didn't have adequate mechanisms for responding to takedown notices. Justin.tv allegedly provided an
online tool for takedowns, UFC said in its lawsuit that the tool didn't always work properly.
UFC also said that Justin.tv should take steps like assigning employees to monitor the site
and remove unauthorized streams.
Representatives for Justin.tv and UFC did not respond to Online Media Daily's requests for more information at press time.