Judge Denies RIAA's $250,000 Attorney Fees Request in Yout Stream-Ripper Case
The Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) request for $250,000 in attorneys' fees from stream-ripper Yout has been rejected by Judge Stefan R. Underhill in their ongoing legal battle.
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The dispute began in October 2020 when Yout filed a complaint against the RIAA, claiming false DMCA takedown notices had damaged its business and reputation. The core issue revolves around whether Yout's service circumvents YouTube's "rolling cipher" technology when allowing users to download audio from videos.
Key points of the case:
- Yout maintains its downloads are "incidental" to video content and not limited to YouTube
- The service claims to prevent recording of content protected by anti-circumvention technology
- The case was dismissed with prejudice in September 2022
In his ruling, Judge Underhill stated: "I choose to exercise my discretion to deny the fee motion without prejudice and grant the RIAA leave to re-file the motion upon resolution of the appeal." He emphasized that the Copyright Act allows recovery of fees by the prevailing party, including appeal costs.
The judge's decision prioritizes judicial efficiency and aims to avoid piecemeal adjudication. Neither party has officially responded to the order.
This case continues as part of broader industry developments, including the RIAA's recent focus on artificial intelligence regulation and its actions against unauthorized domain names.
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