VidAngel, Studios Clashing Over Permanent Injunction

VidAngel and studios are locking horns over a proposed permanent injunction following the $62.4 million court award in the copyright violation complaint against it (see 1906180003), VidAngel, in an opposition filed last week (docket 16-cv-04109, in Pacer) with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, said a permanent injunction's not necessary since it ended its disc-based service more than two years ago and won't use it again "absent an act of Congress or express authorization from a higher court." It said what the content companies really want is "a broad injunction to wield the threat of contempt sanctions over VidAngel for any future conduct that implicates copyright in any way -- including lawful conduct." It said the actual target is its current filtering service, which filters streaming content. Plaintiffs Disney and Warner Bros. in the injunction motion (in Pacer) filed earlier this month said even if VidAngel could pay the $62.4 million court award, those money damages wouldn't be enough "to stop VidAngel’s demonstrated intent to violate Plaintiffs’ rights." They said VidAngel's streaming without a license is harming their exclusive right to control distribution of their works.