Court Denies RIAA's $250,000 Legal Fee Request in Yout Stream-Ripper Case
A federal court has rejected the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) request for $250,000 in attorneys' fees from stream-ripper Yout in their ongoing legal battle.
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The dispute began in October 2020 when Yout sued the RIAA, claiming the trade organization had violated the DMCA by sending three false takedown notices that damaged Yout's 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.
Yout maintains that audio downloads are "just an incidental component" of their video content downloading service, and that their platform "prevents users from recording and saving protected works with anti-circumvention technology."
The case was dismissed with prejudice in September 2022, after which the RIAA sought $250,000 in attorneys' fees. Judge Stefan R. Underhill has now denied this request without prejudice, allowing the RIAA to re-file after the appeal process concludes.
In his ruling, Judge Underhill stated: "The Copyright Act provides for recovery of fees and costs incurred by the prevailing party, including fees and costs incurred on appeal." He added that denying the fee motion now serves "judicial efficiency, avoidance of piecemeal adjudication, and conservation of judicial resources."
Neither party has officially commented on the order. The case continues as Yout pursues its appeal.
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