Although they might be competitors for the most part in the market with their streaming services, however, these biggies, including Disney, Netflix, and Apple have joined forces to tackle a common enemy. Dwayne Johnson (not the actor) was sued by Disney, Universal, and Netflix for copyright infringement back in 2021, and later down the road, other major studios joined in the suit against piracy.
Considering that with the rise of streaming platforms over the years, the internet has witnessed a major spike in the consumption of pirated content. And to tackle this major headache, studios seem to have decided to make an example out of Johnson.
Dwayne Johnson (not The Rock) lost a $30 million lawsuit to major Hollywood studios
Following the nature of the case surrounding Dwayne Johnson (not the actor), who was accused of distributing copyrighted content through his illegal services, recently lost a $30 Million lawsuit. Johnson who was involved in two major services, including AllAccessTV (AATV) and Quality Restreams, which streamed movies and notably TV shows, has been barred from continuing his services. The report stated that Dwayne Johnson’s plans for his illegal services involved a $25 monthly fee and an additional $15 fee per month for VOD access.
The suit against Johnson alleged that he was aware of the illegal nature of the practice and allegedly made around $3 million per year from his AATV services alone. The report also stated Johnson’s, “concerted efforts to conceal the unlawful enterprise”, as he tried to hide his illegal services by showcasing it as a VPN-selling website. However, Dwayne Johnson isn’t the only headache for major studios when it comes to piracy, as over the years it has become a major concern for studios like Disney and Netflix.
Piracy becoming a headache for the industry
According to the reports from Muso, 2022 witnessed a notable spike in the consumption of pirated content from users. The reports stated that there was an 18% spike in piracy numbers in comparison to 2021, which involved more than 215 billion visits to unknown piracy sites, with the US accounting for 13.5 billion visits last year alone.
The reason behind this extreme spike in piracy is also a result of the oversaturation of content in the market, with various content being exclusive to certain streaming services only. The reports also showcased the dominance of TV content in the matter, as Musi claimed that illicit viewings of TV shows comprised 46 percent of global piracy cases, with films being 12.9%.
Although this aforementioned practice has turned out as a major headache for all streaming services, it’s reasonable to understand why the studios are trying to make an example out of Johnson. As the reports stated that if copyright infringement is willful, Dwayne Johnson will be entitled to pay up to $150,000 for statutory damages.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
