Copyright infringement lawsuits have recently emerged in Colorado and Illinois for an animated film called “Khumba.” Khumba was directed by Anthony Silverson and contains the voices of Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and others.
The copyright holder of the Khumba film, Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. , filed the federal lawsuits claiming that the target defendants illegally obtained the movie using BitTorrent or similiar software and the internet without paying the license fee. The defendants are currently “John Doe” defendants and are not named because the plaintiff copyright holder does not know the identities of those it believes did the downloads. In each lawsuit, the plaintiff has asked the court for permission to subpoena ISPs to reveal the identities of the ISP account holders associated with IP addresses plaintiff has linked to the downloads. To date, 186 doe defendants have been sued.
It is speculated that Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. is connected to another copyright plaintiff, Zambezia. Zambezia was another animated film whose copyright holder filed lawsuits in 6 different states, including Illinois and Colorado. Just under 1,000 does were targeted in those cases. For more information and opinions about the lawsuits, visit the blog DieTrollDie.
It is not a good idea to download the Khumba movie using BitTorrent or similar software, especially in states like Illinois and Colorado where Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. is actively suing. If you are a parent make sure your children are not doing this; if you have roommates make sure your roommates are not doing this, as being a target of a federal lawsuit like this over a movie download is not fun, not fair, and is avoidable.
Attorney Jeffrey Antonelli is admitted to all federal courts of Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, and the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois and can represent clients in any federal court anywhere through pro hac vice. Call Antonelli Law at 312-201-8310 and speak with one of our attorneys experienced with BitTorrent copyright litigation, visit our web page on Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. lawsuits, or use the contact form below to request a convenient time to have a detailed free initial consultation about each of your options.
To speak with an attorney at Antonelli Law about Khumba Film Pty. call 312-201-8310 or fill out the following contact form to be contacted within 24 hours.
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The following are recently filed cases by Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. Additional information can be found at the Antonelli Law website:
Colorado Cases:
Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. v. Does 1-12 1:14-cv-02049
Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. v. Does 1-14 1:14-cv-02075
Illinois Cases:
Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. v. Does 1-39 1:14-cv-06605
Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. v. Does 1-38 1:14-cv-06608
Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. v. Does 1-41 1:14-cv-06609
Khumba Film Pty. Ltd. v. Does 1-42 1:14-cv-06610
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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.