Piracy Provider Liable for a $40 Million Judgment and to Cease Operations
LOS ANGELES (November 17, 2020) — The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market for creative content, has obtained a permanent injunction against Crystal Clear Media.
Crystal Clear Media (CCM) was an unauthorized subscription-based provider of access to IPTV live streaming, curated 24/7 channels, and a VOD library. The operators of CCM have agreed to a $40 million judgment, to cease all operations, and to a permanent injunction. ACE filed the lawsuit against CCM and its owners in August 2020.
“Crystal Clear Media’s massive, leveraged piracy operation posed a direct threat to the legitimate streaming market that people are depending on today more than ever,” said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel of the Motion Picture Association. “Illegal online piracy hurts ACE members and strains an already challenged delivery system. It threatens jobs, destabilizes the economics that promote creativity and keep streaming affordable, and puts consumers at increased risk of malware, which is often used for identity and financial theft and other nefarious schemes.”
The Court’s order is the latest in a series of successful ACE actions against piracy device sellers and illegal streaming applications and services. ACE’s legal victories and favorable settlements in previous cases in North America include TickBox, Dragon Box, SetTV Now, Vader Streams, and Omniverse. Beyond these examples, ACE is constantly monitoring the illegal streaming ecosystem and is bringing actions around the world to address these illegal operations.
Online piracy overall costs the U.S. economy at least 230,000 jobs and more than $29.2 billion annually according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce/NERA Economic Consulting study.
About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE):
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is a global coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market and reducing online piracy. Drawing upon the global content protection resources of the Motion Picture Association, the worldwide members of ACE are: Amazon, AMC Networks, Apple TV+, BBC Worldwide, Bell Canada and Bell Media, Canal+ Group, Channel 5, Charter Communications, Comcast, Constantin Film, Discovery, Fox, Foxtel, Grupo Globo, HBO, Hulu, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, SF Studios, Sky, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Star India, Studio Babelsberg, STX Entertainment, Telefe, Telemundo, Televisa, Univision Communications Inc., ViacomCBS, Village Roadshow, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Charles Rivkin is Chairman of ACE and the Motion Picture Association.
Press Contact:
Kristen Tarnol
kristen_tarnol@motionpictures.org
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