SYDNEY, Australia (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — U.S. Film studios have lost their latest appeal against Australian ISP iiNet in a piracy lawsuit.
The movie companies, led by the U.S.-based studio Roadshow, filed suit against iiNet, alleging that the company was complicit in piracy of copyrighted materials because it the company knew it was taking place on their network but they did not take steps to prevent it.
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) was appealing on behalf of the studios against a Feb. 4th 2010 finding by Justice Dennis Cowdroy, which stated that ISPs were not liable for the behavior of their customers.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Justice Arthur Emmett dismissed AFACT's appeal, but left the door open for his decision to be overturned by Australia's supreme court.
A spokesman for the lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia told the SMH that, "We hope the copyright industry's war on Australian Internet users will be blunted by this decision." – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
