The Motion Picture Association of America Wednesday was praising a Florida district court decision that file storage site Hotfile was liable for copyright infringement.
The site paid users to upload files containing illegal copies of TV shows and motion pictures to its servers, says MPAA. Hotfile argued it was a storage service.
The court also found Hotfile principal Anton Titov liable for infringement, according to MPAA. The decision has not yet been released.
"This case marked the first time that a U.S. court has ruled on whether so-called cyberlockers like Hotfile can be held liable for their infringing business practices," said MPAA. "This decision sends a clear signal that businesses like Hotfile that are built on a foundation of stolen works will be held accountable for the damage they do both to the hardworking people in the creative industries and to a secure, legitimate internet," said MPAA chairman Chris Dodd.
