Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

<b>Decision of Note:</b><b>Foreign Website Subject to DC Jurisdiction</b>

By ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decided that a company based in Madrid, Spain, was subject to personal jurisdiction in the District of Columbia by maintaining a Web site that enabled DC residents to download unlicensed sound recordings. Arista Records Inc. v. Sakfield Holding Co. S.L., 03-1474. The ruling provides a liberal view for finding both specific and general jurisdiction over Internet defendants.

In this suit for copyright infringement, among other things, the court first found that the affidavit of one DC resident who had used the defendant's puretunes.com was sufficient to establish that the defendant was subject to specific jurisdiction by “transacting any business” in the district. On the issue of general jurisdiction, the court noted that it wasn't necessary for DC residents to have subscribed to puretunes.com. Rather, the Web site's offer of an initial 25 free tunes to users amounted to “active solicitation.” “Whether or not defendant's advertising plan was targeted at District of Columbia residents specifically, by signing up District residents to this free trial period defendant entered a business relationship with District residents,” the district court emphasized. “The 24 hour availability of downloadable files and transfer of files to those customers in the District is exactly the sort of purposeful, active, systematic, and continuous activity in the District of Columbia that constitutes 'doing business.' ”

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs Image

A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.

Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.

Coverage Issues Stemming from Dry Cleaner Contamination Suits Image

In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.