Two film production companies have filed BitTorrent copyright infringement suits in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, continuing national campaigns of “Troll” copyright litigation by these companies and their affiliates.
Two suits were lodged by Cook Productions, LLC, an entity holding copyrights in the recently released Eddie Murphy period drama, Mr. Church. The film was awarded one star in a RogerEbert.com review, and panned by other critics as reflected in a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score, while audience reviews seemed to be more favorable.
As troll defense previously reported, Cook Productions is an affiliate of Cinelou Films, a production company with a “notable catalog of major motion pictures.” The Mr. Church lawsuits filed in Washington and various other federal courts across the U.S. represent the first known attempts by Cinelou Films at “troll-style” copyright litigation.
Another case was brought in the name of I.T. Productions, LLC which holds rights in the 2016 film, I.T., a “techno-thriller” starring Pierce Brosnan as a technophobic aviation tycoon troubled by technical problems affecting his launch of a new aircraft rental app. I.T. Productions is an affiliate of Voltage Pictures, LLC, the instigator of countless other BitTorrent lawsuits involving film titles such as Dallas Buyers Club, Good Kill, The Cobbler, Fathers & Daugthers, Pay the Ghost, and The Hurt Locker.
These complaints allege copyright infringement by “Doe” parties through their use of BitTorrent file-sharing software. Along with generic allegations of BitTorrent-based copyright infringement, the suits seek statutory damages pursuant to the Copyright Act, attorney’s fees and costs, and an injunction against further infringement.
Like many other similar lawsuits filed in the Western District, these cases were filed by attorney David A. Lowe of Lowe Graham Jones PLLC. A case listing with links to the complaints is below.
Parties and subscribers receiving ISP notices of these actions can contact attorney Benjamin Justus for a free consultation regarding possible options.
Filed: 11/16/2016
Case No. 2:16-cv-01775
I.T. Productions, LLC v. Does 1-20
Filed: 12/08/2016
Case No. 2:16-cv-01884
Cook Productions, LLC v. Does 1-14
Filed: 01/24/2017
Case No. 2:17-cv-00101
Cook Productions, LLC v. Does 1-8
Filed: 02/17/2017
Case No. 2:17-cv-00252
Cook Productions, LLC v. Does 1-7