UMG Recordings, Inc. v. RCN Telecom Servs., LLC
| Decision Date | 31 August 2020 |
| Docket Number | Civil Action No. 19-17272 (MAS) (ZNQ) |
| Parties | UMG RECORDINGS, INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. RCN TELECOM SERVICES, LLC, et al., Defendants. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — District of New Jersey |
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
This matter comes before the Court upon Defendants RCN Telecom Services, LLC; RCN Telecom Services of New York, L.P.; RCN Capital Corp.; RCN Telecom Services of Philadelphia, LLC; RCN Telecom Services of Massachusetts, LLC; Starpower Communications, LLC; RCN Management Corporation; RCN ISP, LLC; RCN Digital Services, LLC; RCN NY LLC 1; RCN Telecom Services (Lehigh), LLC; RCN Telecom Services of Illinois, LLC; 21st Century Telecom Services, Inc.; and RCN Cable TV of Chicago, Inc.'s (collectively, "RCN" or the "RCN Defendants") Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 15), and upon Defendant Patriot Media Consulting, LLC's ("Patriot") (with "RCN" the "Defendants") Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 30). Plaintiffs UMG Recordings, Inc.; Capitol Records, LLC; Sony Music Entertainment; Arista Records LLC; Arista Music; LaFace Records LLC; Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC; Volcano Entertainment III, LLC; Zomba Recording LLC; Atlantic Recording Corporation; Bad Boy Records LLC; Elektra Entertainment Group Inc.; Fueled by Ramen LLC; Maverick Recording Company; The All Blacks U.S.A. Inc.; Warner Music Nashville LLC; Warner Records Inc.; Warner Records/SIRE Ventures, LLC; and WEA International Inc. (collectively, "Plaintiffs") opposed Defendants' Motions (ECF Nos. 52, 53), to which Patriot and RCN replied (ECF Nos. 61, 62).
The Court has carefully considered the parties' submissions and decides this matter without oral argument pursuant to Local Civil Rule 78.1. For the reasons set forth below, RCN's Motion to Dismiss is denied and Patriot's Motion to Dismiss is granted. Counts Three and Four of the Amended Complaint are dismissed without prejudice.
Plaintiffs are a collection of record companies that produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, license, and are copyright holders of, the great majority of all copyrighted commercial sound recordings in this country, including recordings from popular recording artists like Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, One Direction, Beyoncé, John Legend, and more. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 49-50, ECF No. 9; see also List of Copyrighted Recordings, Ex. A to Am. Compl., ECF No. 9-1.)2 The RCN Defendants are Internet Service Providers ("ISPs") that provide internet services in a large number of major metropolitan regions. (Am. Compl. ¶ 3.) RCN offers its customers high-speed internet access with varying levels of internet speeds offered at corresponding price points. (Id. ¶ 62.) Patriot is a management consulting firm that provides certain management services, includingmaking and implementing policy decisions, for RCN. (Id. ¶¶ 81-82; see also Patriot's Moving Br. 3, ECF No. 30-1.)
The record industry and other content-owning industries are currently grappling with the significant problem of online piracy. (Am. Compl. ¶ 55.) BitTorrent networks, a form of peer-to-peer file sharing, are frequently used to distribute copyrighted works. (Id.) "BitTorrent systems allow users to join a 'swarm' of collaborating host computers to download and upload copyrighted works from each other simultaneously." (Id.) When a user attempts to download a specific file, "BitTorrent software identifies multiple computers hosting the identical file, takes small pieces of the requested file from each of those host computers, and downloads them simultaneously onto the requester's computer where they are reassembled into one file." (Id.) "These pieces become immediately available for further distribution and download to other infringing users." (Id.) This system allows for large files or groups of files to be quickly downloaded and distributed. (Id. ¶ 56.) Plaintiffs aver that in a 2013 report, "NetNames estimated that 99.97% of non-pornographic files distributed by BitTorrent systems infringe[d] copyrights." (Id.)
Rightscorp, Inc. ("Rightscorp") is an independent copyright enforcement company that developed a technology to monitor BitTorrent systems for infringing activities. (Id. ¶ 57.) Indeed, copyright holders have hired Rightscorp to do just that. (Id. ¶¶ 57, 58.) Rightscorp's software detects a host computer offering content and then logs certain identifying information including, inter alia, the date and time of the download, the IP address and port number of the host computer, the host computer's ISP, the suspected location of the host computer, and information about the infringing file. (Id. ¶¶ 57, 68.) "Rightscorp's system also has the capability to acquire entire filesfrom the infringing host computers." (Id. ¶ 57.) Rightscorp will then notify the ISP of the suspected infringement, and request the ISP notify its account holder of the infringement as well. (Id. ¶ 58.) Indeed, Rightscorp has requested RCN forward such notices to its account holders. (Id.; see also Compilation of Notices, Ex. 1 to RCN Mot., ECF No. 15-3.) These notices, inter alia, (1) inform the account holder that their ISP has forwarded them the notice; (2) inform the account holder their account "used to download, upload or offer for upload copyrighted content in a manner that infringes on the rights of the copyright owner"; (3) identify the file that was infringed upon; (4) warn the account holder that repeated violations could result in a suspension of service; (5) warn the account holder that they could face civil liability; (6) inform the account holder that Rightscorp represents the copyright holder; and (7) indicate that Rightscorp has been "authorized to offer a settlement solution" to avoid "costly and time-consuming litigation." (See generally Compilation of Notices.)
To date, "Rightscorp has sent RCN more than five million infringement notices, which identified tens of thousands of RCN's subscriber accounts that were engaged in repeated acts of copyright infringement." (Id. ¶ 66.) Specifically, "Rightscorp notified RCN that 36,733 of its customers had engaged in repeated infringement; 10,628 of its customers had engaged in infringement at least 50 times; 6,913 of its customers had engaged in infringement at least 100 times; 1,960 of its customers had engaged in infringement at least 500 times; and 966 of its customers had engaged in infringement at least 1,000 times." (Id.) Each notice sent to RCN by Rightscorp "requested that RCN forward the notice to the corresponding subscriber, because only RCN, as the ISP, could identify and contact the account holder." (Id. ¶ 68.) In addition to sending the notices, Rightscorp, using its software, "repeatedly obtained a copy of the infringing file thatwas the subject of [the] infringement notice." (Id. ¶ 69.) In addition to the individual notices, Rightscorp also provided RCN with "weekly infringement summaries detailing the notices sent to RCN that week, as well as access to an online dashboard that allowed RCN to access the Rightscorp records." (Id. ¶ 70.)
Plaintiffs aver that despite these notices, RCN "failed to take any meaningful action to discourage" the copyright infringement "because internet customers generate high profit margins for RCN." (Id. ¶¶ 72, 73.) Plaintiffs further allege that any anti-piracy policy implemented by RCN was "a sham" because no "policy that provided for the termination of repeat infringers" was ever adopted or enforced. (Id. ¶ 77.) As to Patriot's role, Plaintiffs allege that Patriot "is an owner of RCN" and that it "effectively makes all policy decisions for RCN, specifically including any policy regarding copyright infringement." (Id. ¶ 81.) Plaintiffs contend this includes RCN's policy of providing "repeat infringers with continued internet service . . . without consequence." (Id. ¶ 82.) Plaintiffs aver that because Patriot "provided management and general counsel services to RCN," it is "equally liable." (Id.)
On August 27, 2019, Plaintiffs filed their original Complaint. (ECF No. 1.) On November 22, 2019, Plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint alleging four counts against Defendants. (Am. Compl., ECF No. 9.) All of Plaintiffs' allegations in the Amended Complaint arise under the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, et seq. (See generally id.) Specifically, the Amended Complaint alleges: Count One, against RCN, for contributory copyright infringement (id. ¶¶ 84-95); Count Two, against RCN, for vicarious copyright infringement (id. ¶¶ 96-107); Count Three, against Patriot, for contributory copyright infringement (id. ¶¶ 108-20); and Count Four, against Patriot, for vicarious copyright infringement (id. ¶¶ 121-132). On January21, 2020, RCN and Patriot filed their Motions to Dismiss. (ECF Nos. 15, 30.) On February 18, 2020, Plaintiffs opposed (ECF Nos. 52, 53) and on March 11, 2020, Defendants replied (ECF Nos. 61, 62).
"Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires only 'a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,' in order to 'give the defendant fair notice of what the . . . claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.'" Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47 (1957)) (alteration in original).
District courts undertake a three-part analysis when considering a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Malleus v. George, 641 F.3d 560, 563 (3d Cir. 2011). "First, the court must 'tak[e] note of the elements a plaintiff must plead to state a claim.'" Id. (quoting Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 675 (2009)) (alteration in original). Second, the court must accept as true all of the plaintiff's [well-pleaded] factual allegations and "construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff." Fowler v. UPMC Shadyside, ...
To continue reading
Request your trial