Popcorn Time Users Beware
On August 16, 2015 a lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court of Oregon against 11 John Doe defendants alleged users of Popcorn Time. The case is Cobbler Nevada LLC v. Anonymous Users of Popcorn Time, 3:15-cv-1550. This could be the first in what may be a large number of lawsuits alleging illegal downloads through the site.
A copy of the Complaint can be viewed here: Cobbler Nevada v. Anonymous Users of Popcorn Time
In June, we warned readers about the possibility of being sued using Popcorn Time.
Popcorn Time is a popular web-based service providing free access to movies and TV shows. What patrons of the service may not realize is that because Popcorn Time seems to use BitTorrent behind the scenes, it can cause similar consequences as traditional BitTorrent traffic – being sued in federal court for copyright infringement.
The Popcorn Time website explains it allows users to stream content from torrents. This service engages in the same mechanisms as other torrents: when a file is chosen, it downloads and simultaneously allows others to upload.
Several countries around the world have taken steps to combat Popcorn Time and its piracy, including Norway and the United Kingdom.
Popcorn Time also has an app allowing patrons to download works directly onto a smart phone or tablet. This too may give rise to being sued in federal court for copyright infringement.
Those engaging in the use of this service should do so with caution. Copyright owners of the works present on the Popcorn Time site could choose to file infringement lawsuits at any time.
Antonelli Law can help you nationwide if you have received an ISP letter informing you a subpoena for your identity was received, or if you are served with a summons or waiver of service.
For immediate advice and a free initial consultation call the attorneys at Antonelli Law at 312-201-8310 or fill out our simple contact page below with a request to call you back at a time that is convenient for you. We understand the shock you may be feeling from receiving a notice of this action, and have the experience to help you deal with this in the best way possible for you. Attorney referrals accepted.
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District Court of Oregon
Cobbler Nevada LLC v. Anonymous Users of Popcorn Time (Does 1-11) 3:15-cv-1550
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JAntonelli
Jeffrey Antonelli is a member of the federal trial bar of the Northern District of Illinois and is admitted to numerous federal courts around the country. He has been a civil litigator nearly 25 years in a broad range of actions representing corporations and individuals as plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal court.
Jeffrey has been interviewed by the media many times, including Bloomberg BNA, NBC, The New York Times, Chicago Lawyer, Chicago Tribune, and the longstanding lawyer’s publication Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Prior to forming Antonelli Law Ltd. in 2007 Jeffrey worked for several litigation boutiques in Chicago’s Loop as well as a full service firm. His litigation experience includes hotly contested issues in intellectual property, business, insurance, and consumer fraud. He is an adviser to the Illinois Board of Higher Education Advisory Council for Private Business and Vocational Schools (PBVS), and was a member of the Illinois State Bar Association Education Law Section Council from 2012-2013. Jeffrey is especially proud of his work representing hundreds of students defrauded by improperly accredited educational institutions, including as certified class counsel.
Before attending law school, Jeffrey was interested first in business, and then in biomedical ethics. These interests led him to graduate from the nation’s largest philosophy department at Loyola University in Chicago, where some of his favorite (and most challenging) subjects were cognitive science and philosophy of science. During college he held positions at the University of Chicago’s Ben May Institute; as a medical assistant for a University of Chicago foot and ankle surgeon; and volunteered in the emergency room at the University of Chicago Hospitals. These experiences led to studying health law at the DePaul College of Law where Jeffrey earned his law degree and a certificate in health law. At that time DePaul’s Institute for Health Law was consistently ranked in the top 10 health law specialty programs nationwide.
During law school Jeffrey immersed himself in studying the practical and public policy aspects of health care through internships at the American Medical Association in Chicago, and on Capitol Hill at the Governmental Relations Office of the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, DC.
Jeffrey has concentrated in civil litigation throughout his legal career, and is a member of the federal trial bar of the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of Illinois federal court, and all federal courts of Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. In addition, he is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.
Jeffrey prides himself on his strong personal ideals, passionate, ethical advocacy, and working hard to bring the best possible results for his clients. He also maintains a special interest in cases involving fraud. Whether due to good parenting, his family’s law enforcement employment, undergraduate studies in philosophy including ethics, or a fortuitous outcome of good breeding, one essence of Jeffrey’s character is a drive to root out the truth behind fraudulent practices.