BMG, Concord, and Universal Music Group (UMG) have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit exceeding $1 billion against internet service provider Altice USA, claiming the company deliberately ignored widespread copyright violations by its subscribers.

Key Details of the Lawsuit:

• Filed in federal court in Texas, where Altice operates approximately two dozen locations
• Plaintiffs include UMG's Capitol Records
• Altice allegedly received over a million infringement notices involving protected works
• Approximately 20,000 Altice subscribers were involved in the alleged infractions
• Many subscribers continued infringing for extended periods, from 100 days to several years

The Allegations:

• Altice knowingly allowed subscribers to use its services for illegal distribution of copyrighted works
• The company prioritized subscription revenue over addressing copyright infringement
• Altice maintained service for repeat offenders to protect profits
• The ISP currently serves customers in at least 21 states

Financial Implications:

• Damages sought exceed $1 billion
• Calculated based on maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per infringed work
• Involves 176 pages of allegedly infringed works

This case follows similar music industry lawsuits against other ISPs, including Charter/Bright House, Frontier, and Cox. Altice has not yet publicly responded to these allegations.

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