A number of Russian television broadcasters have filed a class action lawsuit in the district court of New York against companies illegally broadcasting their programs in the United States, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday.
The lawsuit has been brought by Russian television channels including the state-owned Channel One, REN TV, TNT Comedy, Dozhd, CTC, Nostalgia and Domashniy.
They accuse U.S. distributors including Infomir, Panorama TV, Goodzone TV, Matvil Corporation, Actava TV and Master Call Communications of illegally streaming their content in the U.S. and using their trademarks, Kommersant reported.
The lawsuit was registered by the court on Feb. 16.
According to the plaintiffs, U.S. distributors intercepted the broadcasters’ satellite signals in violation of the law and distributed the content in the U.S. for a monthly fee.
The plaintiffs estimate the damages caused by the U.S. distributors at more than $75,000.
The current piracy lawsuit is likely to be followed by others, said Alexei Efimov, CEO of one of Channel One's subsidiaries.
“We have discovered more than 100 operators that steal our content and force people to pay money for it,” Efimov was quoted as saying by Kommersant.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
