Updated 2/3 at 1:53 p.m.: Warren Communications moved to voluntarily dismiss the case Feb. 3, notifying the court that the parties had "resolved their dispute."
Warren Communications News Inc., a Washington-based news organization that covers the telecommunications and media industries, is suing a subscriber for making unauthorized copies of a daily newsletter to the tune of as much as $19.5 million.
According to the complaint (PDF), filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Warren Communications is accusing a Michigan company of buying a single subscription to a daily newsletter and then making multiple copies to distribute to present and former employees.
The newsletter, Communications Daily, is sent as a PDF document to subscribers via e-mail. Warren Communications is accusing an employee of U.S. Signal LLC of subscribing to the newsletter in March 2009 and, starting in Oct. 2010, sending copies around and outside of the office. U.S. Signal operates fiber optic networks in the Midwest.
The $19.5 million price tag is based on the maximum amount a jury can award in damages for this type of copyright infringement. Warren Communications alleges U.S. Signal made copies of at least 130 editions of the newsletter, multiplied by $150,000 for each act of willful infringement.
A U.S. Signal representative could not immediately be reached for comment. Warren Communications News is being represented by Wiley Rein partner Thomas Kirby, who also could not immediately be reached.
If you don't want people to forward an electronic file (or scan and forward any document) say so - particularly if you're selling the original. If your business model relies on people forwarding newsletters to others you might want to indicate your copyright but welcome unmodified (if appropriate) forwards.
Posted by: B Johnson | January 31, 2012 at 03:46 PM
Wow. This should scare people. Very bad news for Groupon and millions of smaller online retailers, where part of their business model relies on people forwarding newsletters.
Posted by: Peter Austin | January 31, 2012 at 07:46 AM