Altice USA Settles Major Copyright Lawsuit with BMG as Q2 Impairments Hit $47 Million
BMG and other music companies have officially settled their copyright infringement lawsuit against internet service provider Altice USA after 20 months of litigation.
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The lawsuit, which sought up to $1 billion in damages, accused Altice of failing to address repeat copyright infringement by its subscribers. The plaintiffs included BMG, Concord, and UMG Recordings.
While specific settlement terms remain undisclosed, Altice's Q2 2024 earnings report revealed $46.6 million in "restructuring, impairments and other operating items," including "significant legal settlements" - a substantial increase from the $5.2 million reported in the prior year.
The judge dismissed the claims with prejudice, with each party bearing their own legal costs and expenses.
This settlement may impact other ongoing copyright cases against ISPs:
- Warner Music, Sony Music, and others filed a separate $1 billion lawsuit against Altice in December 2023
- Similar cases are active against Frontier Communications, Grande Communications ($47 million judgment), and Verizon
- Cox Communications recently appealed to the Supreme Court following a $1 billion verdict from 2019, which was vacated in February with a new trial ordered for damages
Altice logo against dark city skyline
Altice Building against blue sky
The outcome of this settlement could influence future negotiations between music companies and internet service providers regarding copyright infringement claims.