Roadshow Films Pty Limited v Telstra Corporation Limited [2020] FCA 507
The Court was satisfied on the uncontested evidence that the target online locations either infringed or facilitated the infringement of the applicants' copyright and that their primary purpose or effect was infringement or facilitation of infringement. The Court found it appropriate to grant injunctions requiring the carriage service providers to disable access to these online locations under s 115A of the Copyright Act, with a process to include new URLs, domain names and IP Addresses relating to those locations, thereby giving effect to the current legislative regime.
- Parties
- First Applicant: Roadshow Films Pty Limited; Second Applicant: Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Ltd; Third Applicant: Disney Enterprises, Inc.; Fourth Applicant: Paramount Pictures Corporation; Fifth Applicant: Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.; Sixth Applicant: Universal City Studios LLC.; Seventh Applicant: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.; Eighth Applicant: Netflix Studios, LLC; Ninth Applicant: Television Broadcasts Limited; Tenth Applicant: TVBO Production Limited; Eleventh Applicant: Madman Anime Group Pty Ltd; First Respondent: Telstra Corporation Limited; Second Respondent: Pacnet Internet (A) Pty Ltd; Third Respondent: Pacnet Services (A) Pty. Ltd.; Fourth Respondent: Optus Mobile Pty Limited; Fifth Respondent: Optus Networks Pty Limited; Sixth Respondent: Optus ADSL Pty Limited; Seventh Respondent: Optus Satellite Pty Limited; Eighth Respondent: Uecomm Operations Pty Limited; Ninth Respondent: Optus Internet Pty Limited; Tenth Respondent: Virgin Mobile (Australia) Pty Limited; Eleventh Respondent: Optus Wholesale Pty Limited; Twelfth Respondent: M2 Wholesale Pty Ltd; Thirteenth Respondent: M2 Wholesale Services Pty Ltd; Fourteenth Respondent: M2 Commander Pty Ltd; Fifteenth Respondent: Primus Network (Australia) Pty Ltd; Sixteenth Respondent: Primus Telecommunications Pty Ltd; Seventeenth Respondent: Primus Telecommunications (Australia) Pty Ltd; Eighteenth Respondent: Dodo Services Pty Ltd; Nineteenth Respondent: Engin Pty Ltd; Twentieth Respondent: Eftel Corporate Pty Ltd; Twenty First Respondent: Eftel Retail Pty Ltd; Twenty Second Respondent: Eftel Wholesale Pty Ltd; Twenty Third Respondent: Club Telco Pty Ltd; Twenty Fourth Respondent: Wholesale Communications Group Pty Ltd; Twenty Fifth Respondent: 2Talk Pty Ltd; Twenty Sixth Respondent: Vocus Pty Ltd; Twenty Seventh Respondent: Amcom IP Tel Pty Ltd; Twenty Eighth Respondent: Amnet Broadband Pty Ltd; Twenty Ninth Respondent: Nextgen Networks Pty Ltd; Thirtieth Respondent: TPG Internet Pty Ltd; Thirty First Respondent: TPG Network Pty Ltd; Thirty Second Respondent: FTTB Wholesale Pty Ltd; Thirty Third Respondent: Chariot Pty Ltd; Thirty Fourth Respondent: Soul Pattinson Telecommunications Pty Limited; Thirty Fifth Respondent: SPT Telecommunications Pty Limited; Thirty Sixth Respondent: SPTCOM Pty Limited; Thirty Seventh Respondent: Soul Communications Pty Ltd; Thirty Eighth Respondent: Pipe Networks Pty Limited; Thirty Ninth Respondent: Intrapower Terrestrial Pty Ltd; Fortieth Respondent: Iinet Limited; Forty First Respondent: Internode Pty Ltd; Forty Second Respondent: Transact Capital Communications Pty Ltd; Forty Third Respondent: Transact Victoria Communications Pty Ltd; Forty Fourth Respondent: Westnet Pty Ltd; Forty Fifth Respondent: Adam Internet Pty Ltd; Forty Sixth Respondent: AAPT Limited; Forty Seventh Respondent: Request Broadband Pty Ltd; Forty Eighth Respondent: Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited; Forty Ninth Respondent: Vodafone Network Pty Limited; Fiftieth Respondent: Vodafone Pty Limited
- Jurisdiction
- Australia
- Judgment Date
- 20 April 2020
- Procedural Posture
- Application for Injunction Under Copyright Act 1968 (cth) S 115 a / Judgment and Orders on Application
- Outcome
- Injunction granted. Leave to proceed. Leave to amend application. Compliance process ordered. Costs as per compliance, otherwise no order as to costs.
- Legal Topics
- Copyright Infringement, Site Blocking Injunctions, Section 115 a Copyright Act 1968
Case Brief
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Roadshow Films Pty Limited
First Applicant
Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Ltd
Second Applicant
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Third Applicant
Paramount Pictures Corporation
Fourth Applicant
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Fifth Applicant
Universal City Studios LLC.
Sixth Applicant
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Seventh Applicant
Netflix Studios, LLC
Eighth Applicant
Television Broadcasts Limited
Ninth Applicant
TVBO Production Limited
Tenth Applicant
Madman Anime Group Pty Ltd
Eleventh Applicant
Telstra Corporation Limited
First Respondent
Pacnet Internet (A) Pty Ltd
Second Respondent
Pacnet Services (A) Pty. Ltd.
Third Respondent
Optus Mobile Pty Limited
Fourth Respondent
Optus Networks Pty Limited
Fifth Respondent
Optus ADSL Pty Limited
Sixth Respondent
Optus Satellite Pty Limited
Seventh Respondent
Uecomm Operations Pty Limited
Eighth Respondent
Optus Internet Pty Limited
Ninth Respondent
Virgin Mobile (Australia) Pty Limited
Tenth Respondent
Optus Wholesale Pty Limited
Eleventh Respondent
M2 Wholesale Pty Ltd
Twelfth Respondent
M2 Wholesale Services Pty Ltd
Thirteenth Respondent
M2 Commander Pty Ltd
Fourteenth Respondent
Primus Network (Australia) Pty Ltd
Fifteenth Respondent
Primus Telecommunications Pty Ltd
Sixteenth Respondent
Primus Telecommunications (Australia) Pty Ltd
Seventeenth Respondent
Dodo Services Pty Ltd
Eighteenth Respondent
Engin Pty Ltd
Nineteenth Respondent
Eftel Corporate Pty Ltd
Twentieth Respondent
Eftel Retail Pty Ltd
Twenty First Respondent
Eftel Wholesale Pty Ltd
Twenty Second Respondent
Club Telco Pty Ltd
Twenty Third Respondent
Wholesale Communications Group Pty Ltd
Twenty Fourth Respondent
2Talk Pty Ltd
Twenty Fifth Respondent
Vocus Pty Ltd
Twenty Sixth Respondent
Amcom IP Tel Pty Ltd
Twenty Seventh Respondent
Amnet Broadband Pty Ltd
Twenty Eighth Respondent
Nextgen Networks Pty Ltd
Twenty Ninth Respondent
TPG Internet Pty Ltd
Thirtieth Respondent
TPG Network Pty Ltd
Thirty First Respondent
FTTB Wholesale Pty Ltd
Thirty Second Respondent
Chariot Pty Ltd
Thirty Third Respondent
Soul Pattinson Telecommunications Pty Limited
Thirty Fourth Respondent
SPT Telecommunications Pty Limited
Thirty Fifth Respondent
SPTCOM Pty Limited
Thirty Sixth Respondent
Soul Communications Pty Ltd
Thirty Seventh Respondent
Pipe Networks Pty Limited
Thirty Eighth Respondent
Intrapower Terrestrial Pty Ltd
Thirty Ninth Respondent
Iinet Limited
Fortieth Respondent
Internode Pty Ltd
Forty First Respondent
Transact Capital Communications Pty Ltd
Forty Second Respondent
Transact Victoria Communications Pty Ltd
Forty Third Respondent
Westnet Pty Ltd
Forty Fourth Respondent
Adam Internet Pty Ltd
Forty Fifth Respondent
AAPT Limited
Forty Sixth Respondent
Request Broadband Pty Ltd
Forty Seventh Respondent
Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited
Forty Eighth Respondent
Vodafone Network Pty Limited
Forty Ninth Respondent
Vodafone Pty Limited
Fiftieth Respondent
Procedural Posture
Application for Injunction Under Copyright Act 1968 (cth) S 115 a / Judgment and Orders on Application
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether carriage service providers should be ordered under s 115A of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) to take reasonable steps to disable access to online locations infringing or facilitating infringement of copyright.
- 2 Whether the primary purpose or effect of each target online location is infringement or facilitation of infringement of copyright.
- 3 Appropriate form and scope of injunction orders under s 115A.
Ratio Decidendi
The Court was satisfied on the uncontested evidence that the target online locations either infringed or facilitated the infringement of the applicants' copyright and that their primary purpose or effect was infringement or facilitation of infringement. The Court found it appropriate to grant injunctions requiring the carriage service providers to disable access to these online locations under s 115A of the Copyright Act, with a process to include new URLs, domain names and IP Addresses relating to those locations, thereby giving effect to the current legislative regime.
Court Disposition
Injunction granted. Leave to proceed. Leave to amend application. Compliance process ordered. Costs as per compliance, otherwise no order as to costs.
Orders
- Leave granted to Eleventh Applicant to proceed without joining copyright owner.
- Applicants granted leave to amend Originating Application and Concise Statement.
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