RapidShare Scores Another Legal Victory

DUSSELDORF — A court in Germany has reversed a preliminary injunction against file-sharing service RapidShare, saying it doesn’t have to use a word filter to combat the sharing of copyrighted files.

Movie distributor Capelight Pictures won a preliminary injunction against RapidShare for hosting a number of its films.

The court ruled that RapidShare didn’t do enough to prevent the sharing of the films because it didn’t use a word filter. But RapidShare won on appeal arguing that common terms would cause too many wrong hits with a filter.

RapidShare also said that a filter would hinder people form saving private copies of the file as allowed by German law.

The court said that RapidShare didn’t have an obligation to stop the dissemination of download links and reversed its previous injunction.

RapidShare attorney Daniel Raimer said the ruling was another step in the right direction.

"The previously common practice of copyright holders to sue RapidShare on the off-chance there might be something to be gained from it, misunderstanding the realities it is operating within and showing contempt for its business model, will no longer bear fruit. The newest court rulings in Germany and the USA indicate this very clearly,” he told ArsTechnica.

RapidShare has won favorable rulings recently in German and U.S. courts. A German appeals court overturned another decision in May, saying that the service can’t be held responsible for the actions of third parties.

Also in May, the U.S. District Court in San Diego denied Perfect 10’s request for an injunction, saying Perfect 10 failed to prove RapidShare was infringing on the company’s copyrighted works.

RapidShare CEO Christian Schmid said copyright holders may want to reconsider whether it's worth their time to go after file sharing companies and file sharers —especially when they seem to be spending so much more on legal fees than what they're getting back in claim settlements.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pineapple Support to Host Wellness Sessions at Bucharest Summit

Pineapple Support is hosting free group and one-on-one therapy sessions at Bucharest Summit, June 3-5.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Canadian Senator Revives Push for National AV Law

Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, whose previous multiple attempts to legislate national age verification requirements all failed, has introduced a new bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Show More