throbber
Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 1 of 27
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`
`
`George A. Zelcs*
`gzelcs@koreintillery.com
`Randall P. Ewing, Jr.*
`rewing@koreintillery.com
`Ryan Z. Cortazar *
`rcortazar@koreintillery.com
`KOREIN TILLERY, LLC
`205 North Michigan, Suite 1950
`Chicago, IL 60601
`Telephone: (312) 641-9750
`Facsimile: (312) 641-9751
`
`Stephen M. Tillery*
`stillery@koreintillery.com
`Steven M. Berezney, CA Bar #329923
`sberezney@koreintillery.com
`Carol O’Keefe*
`cokeefe@koreintillery.com
`KOREIN TILLERY, LLC
`505 North 7th Street, Suite 3600
`St. Louis, MO 63101
`Telephone: (314) 241-4844
`Facsimile: (314) 241-3525
`
`*Admitted pro hac vice
`
`Attorneys for Plaintiffs and Counterclaim
`Defendants
`
`
`KEKER, VAN NEST & PETERS LLP
`ROBERT A. VAN NEST - # 84065
`rvannest@keker.com
`DAN JACKSON - # 216091
`djackson@keker.com
`JULIA L. ALLEN - # 286097
`jallen@keker.com
`TRAVIS SILVA - # 295856
`tsilva@keker.com
`ANNA PORTO - # 319903
`aporto@keker.com
`LUKE APFELD - # 327029
`lapfeld@keker.com
`AMOS J. B. ESPELAND - # 332895
`aespeland@keker.com
`633 Battery Street
`San Francisco, CA 94111-1809
`Telephone:
`415 391 5400
`Facsimile:
`415 397 7188
`
`Attorneys for Defendants and Counterclaimants
`YouTube, LLC and Google LLC
`
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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`NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION
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`MARIA SCHNEIDER, UNIGLOBE
`ENTERTAINMENT, LLC, and AST
`PUBLISHING, LTD., individually and on
`behalf of all others similarly situated,
`
`Plaintiffs,
`
`v.
`
`YOUTUBE, LLC and GOOGLE LLC,
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`Defendants.
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` Judge: Hon. James Donato
`
`
`Trial Date: June 12, 2023
`Time: 9:00 a.m
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`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`YOUTUBE, LLC and GOOGLE LLC,
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`Counterclaimants,
`
`v.
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`PIRATE MONITOR LTD., et al.,
`Counterclaim-Defendants.
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`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 2 of 27
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`
`
`Additional Counsel
`
`Joshua Irwin Schiller, CA Bar #330653
`jischiller@bsfllp.com
`BOIES SCHILLER FLEXNER LLP
`44 Montgomery Street, 41st Floor
`San Francisco, CA 94104
`Telephone: (415) 293-6800
`Facsimile: (415) 293-6899
`
`Philip C. Korologos*
`pkorologos@bsfllp.com
`Jeffrey Waldron*
`jwaldron@bsfllp.com
`BOIES SCHILLER FLEXNER LLP
`55 Hudson Yards, 20th Floor
`New York, NY 10001
`Telephone: (212) 446-2300
`Facsimile: (212) 446-2350
`
`
`
`*Admitted pro hac vice
`
`Attorneys for Plaintiffs and Counterclaim-
`Defendants
`
`
`
`DAVID H. KRAMER, SBN 168452
`LAUREN GALLO WHITE, SBN 309075
`WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
`Professional Corporation
`650 Page Mill Road
`Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
`Telephone: (650) 493-9300
`Facsimile: (650) 565-5100
`Email: dkramer@wsgr.com
`lwhite@wsgr.com
`
`Attorneys for Defendants and
`Counterclaimants
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`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`

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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 3 of 27
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`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`In accordance with Paragraph 3 of this Court’s Standing Order for Civil Jury Trials, the
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`parties hereby submit this Joint Pretrial Statement. Currently pending before the Court are:
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`•
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`•
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`•
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`•
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`Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification [ECF 245]1;
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`Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [ECF 265];
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`Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Daubert Motions [ECFs 254, 256, 258, 262, 264]; and
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`Counterclaim Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF 260].
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`The parties note that resolution of these motions may affect the nature and scope of the issues to
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`be tried. The submission of this Joint Statement does not waive any rights and the parties both
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`reserve all rights respectively, including to modify any and all positions in this Pretrial Statement
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`as necessary, including after any of the pending motions are decided.
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`I.
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`SUBSTANCE OF THE ACTION
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`A.
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`The Parties
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`Plaintiffs. Maria Schneider alleges that she owns copyrights in numerous works including
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`U.S. registered copyrights in the compositions for and unregistered U.S. copyright interests in the
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`sound recordings of the musical works Bird Count, Dance You Monster to My Soft Song, and
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`Three Romances Choro Dancado, among others. Uniglobe Entertainment, LLC (“Uniglobe”)
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`alleges that it owns a U.S. registered copyright in the screenplay of the film 5 Weddings and an
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`unregistered foreign copyright in the Hindi-dubbed film 5 Weddings. AST Publishing Ltd.
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`(“AST”) alleges that it owns foreign unregistered copyrights to the audiobooks of numerous
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`works, including My Children and Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes.
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`Ms. Schneider and Uniglobe serve as the class representatives for the putative Registered
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`Works Infringement Class which consists of all persons who own copyrights in one or more
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`works: 1) registered with the United States Copyright Office; 2) contained or used in a video that
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`1 Defendants object to a trial beginning prior to resolution of the pending class certification
`motion. In the event any class is certified, the parties agree that any class notice and opt-out
`processes will make a classwide trial on June 12 infeasible. However, as set forth in Section IX
`below, Plaintiffs support bifurcation to allow any non-class claims to proceed on the current trial
`schedule while class notice proceeds on the class claims. Defendants object to that proposal.
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`1
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`

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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 4 of 27
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`was displayed on YouTube and then removed from YouTube due to a successful Takedown
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`Notice; and 3) contained or used in a video that was displayed on YouTube subsequent to the first
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`successful Takedown Notice and then removed from YouTube as a result of either a second
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`successful Takedown Notice made on or after July 2, 2019, or an allegation of infringement made
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`in a court of law on or after July 2, 2019.
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`Uniglobe and AST serve as the class representatives for the putative Foreign Unregistered
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`Works Infringement Class, which consists of all persons who own copyrights in one or more
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`works: 1) first published outside the United States; 2) contained or used in a video that was
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`displayed on YouTube and then removed from YouTube due to a successful Takedown Notice;
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`and 3) contained or used in a video that was displayed on YouTube subsequent to the first
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`successful Takedown Notice and then removed from YouTube as a result of either a second
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`successful Takedown Notice made on or after July 2, 2019, or an allegation of infringement made
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`in a court of law on or after July 2, 2019.
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`Ms. Schneider serves as the class representative for the putative International Standard
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`Recording Code (“ISRC”) Class, which consists of all persons who own copyrights in one or more
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`digital form sound recordings of musical works that: 1) has been assigned an International
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`Standard Recording Code (“ISRC”); and 2) was a component of a video that was uploaded to
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`YouTube that (a) did not include the assigned ISRC and (b) was removed from YouTube as a
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`result of either a successful Takedown Notice made on or after July 2, 2019, or an allegation of
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`infringement made in a court of law on or after July 2, 2019.
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`Ms. Schneider serves as the class representative for the putative Clip Filename (“CLFN”)
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`Class which consists of all persons who own copyrights in one or more works that: 1) had an
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`associated CLFN field populated with copyright management information (“CMI”) and 2) was
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`contained in a video uploaded to YouTube (a) either without the associated CMI metadata or with
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`the CMI metadata altered and (b) that was removed from YouTube as a result of either a
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`successful Takedown Notice made on or after July 2, 2019, or an allegation of infringement made
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`in a court of law on or after July 2, 2019.
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`2
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`

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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 5 of 27
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`Defendants and Counterclaim Plaintiffs. Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff YouTube
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`LLC (“YouTube”) is a Delaware limited liability company that owns and operates YouTube, an
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`online video hosting service where users can share and access video content. Defendant and
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`Counterclaim Plaintiff Google LLC (“Google”) is a Delaware limited liability company that
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`wholly owns and controls YouTube.
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`
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`Counterclaim Defendants. The Counterclaim Defendants in this action are Pirate Monitor
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`Ltd., a limited company with its principal place of business in the British Virgin Islands, Pirate
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`Monitor LLC, which does not exist, and Gabor Csupó, a citizen of Hungary and a resident of the
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`State of California.
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`B.
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`Plaintiffs’ Statement Regarding Substance of the Claims
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`Plaintiffs and the putative class allege that Defendants are liable for direct, contributory,
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`and vicarious copyright infringement because YouTube copied, reproduced, distributed, publicly
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`performed, and/or publicly displayed Plaintiffs’ works without authorization, and it induced,
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`materially contributed to, and controlled the copying, reproduction, distribution, public
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`performance, and/or public display of infringing videos uploaded to YouTube by users and
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`financially benefited from the infringing activity. Plaintiff Schneider also alleges that Defendants
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`are liable for the removal of copyright management information from videos containing her works
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`and for the distribution, import for distribution, or public performance of videos containing such
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`works without their associated copyright management information in violation of 17 USC
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`§§1202(b)(1) and 1202(b)(3).
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`YouTube is the largest video-sharing website in the world. Faced with litigation by major
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`music labels and other significant rights holders, YouTube crafted a two-tiered system of
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`copyright “enforcement” on its platform. For large and significant rights holders with the power
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`to hold Defendants to account, YouTube developed Content ID, a copyright management system
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`and digital fingerprint matching technology that enables the identification of copyright infringing
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`works on YouTube. In this program, videos uploaded to YouTube are scanned against a database
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`of files submitted by Content ID participants. These large rights holders can block the infringing
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`3
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`

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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 6 of 27
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`
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`video, monetize the infringing video by running ads against it, or just track the infringing video’s
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`viewership statistics.
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`By contrast, smaller rights holders like Plaintiffs are denied appropriate abilities to police
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`copyright infringement—no matter how many times their copyrighted works are infringed on
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`YouTube. These smaller rights holders are relegated to the YouTube search bar, which can only
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`locate infringing works if the infringing uploader has voluntarily identified the work infringed or
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`its author; which de-duplicates search bar results so only some, but not all, results for an
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`infringement are displayed; and which does not show search results for private and unlisted videos
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`at all, even though they comprise
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` of the YouTube platform and can be publicly
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`displayed to millions of viewers. Such limitations prevent copyright owners from using the search
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`bar to locate information needed (e.g., identifying infringements) to submit DMCA takedown
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`notifications.
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`In 2017, in response to complaints by YouTube Partner channels, YouTube expanded the
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`use of YouTube’s fingerprint matching technology to include video to video matching across the
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`platform for what it termed “Copyright Match”. As part of this program (and to establish what
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`YouTube internally calls the “Content Age” of material uploaded to YouTube), YouTube matches
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`each newly uploaded video against the corpus of videos previously uploaded to the platform,
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`including videos that have been the subject of successful DMCA takedown notices. While
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`YouTube’s matching technology accurately identifies all matches down to
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`seconds, YouTube
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`refuses to disclose any matches of private or unlisted videos or any matches that contain less than
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` of the work claimed in a DMCA takedown.
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`Moreover, it was not until after this lawsuit was commenced that YouTube provided
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`copyright owners other than the select number of “YouTube Partner Program” participants
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`information about these content matches. This meant that until 2021, a copyright owner that
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`identified an infringement in a takedown notice was not provided the data that YouTube had in its
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`possession of matches of essentially the same content elsewhere on the platform. Plaintiffs
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`maintain that as a result of this video-to-video matching, YouTube has actual or red-flag
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`4
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 7 of 27
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`knowledge of infringing videos across its platform that it neither removes nor discloses to
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`copyright claimants to allow them to identify and seek removal of such infringing videos.
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`As a result of its disparate, two-tier enforcement system, Defendants reap substantial
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`profits. Pirated content is readily available on YouTube (as evidenced by the 1.5 billion instances
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`of infringement identified by Content ID each year), which draws users to the site, and the growth
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`in users incentivizes the posting of more infringing content on YouTube, which in turn enables
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`Defendants to reap more advertising revenue. Defendants also profit because the growth of the
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`YouTube platform—including through the availability of pirated content owned by small rights
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`holders—generates valuable user information on user preferences and demographics which is used
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`to develop targeted advertising for YouTube, Google, and Google’s various products and services
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`in the online advertising market.
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`Here, Plaintiffs have filed successful takedown notices identifying certain infringements of
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`their works on the YouTube site, following the procedures of § 512(c) of the Digital Millennium
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`Copyright Act (“DMCA”). YouTube removed those infringing videos and the infringing videos
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`have not been reinstated pursuant to a counter-notification by the uploader or to a retraction by the
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`claimant. During this litigation, Plaintiffs identified still more infringements of their work during
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`discovery and YouTube removed these infringing videos before plaintiffs filed takedown notices,
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`obviating the need for plaintiffs to file DMCA takedowns for such works.
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`The DMCA provides platforms like YouTube with a safe harbor from copyright
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`infringement claims in certain defined circumstances. YouTube is only eligible to pursue the
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`DMCA safe harbors if: (1) it first adopts and reasonably implements a policy that terminates, in
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`appropriate circumstances, YouTube account holders who are repeat infringers; and (2) it
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`accommodates and does not interfere with Standard Technical Measures (“STM”) for identifying
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`infringements. YouTube fails both of these “eligibility conditions”; hence, it does not qualify for
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`any safe harbor affirmative defense in this case.
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`YouTube fails to reasonably implement its repeat infringer policy including because, as
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`noted, its exclusion of private and unlisted videos and search result de-duplication prevents
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`copyright owners from gathering information necessary to submit takedown requests; it fails to
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`5
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`

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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 8 of 27
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`issue copyright strikes for the billions of infringements identified by Content ID; it assesses strikes
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`against channels, not users, even though one user can have multiple channels;
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`; and it
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`excludes its Trusted Enterprise Partners from termination, regardless of the number of strikes they
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`receive. YouTube also admittedly does not accommodate and instead interferes with the use of
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`third-party digital fingerprinting technology, which technology Plaintiffs will establish is a
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`“standard technical measure” as defined in the DMCA.
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`Independent of these failures to satisfy the eligibility conditions for safe harbor against any
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`infringements, YouTube separately cannot claim safe harbor protection in the context of the
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`specific infringements of the plaintiffs given that it had either actual or red flag knowledge of
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`those infringements upon which it did not act to remove the infringing material. And, with respect
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`to infringements viewed as a result of YouTube's Autoplay and Watch Next functions, YouTube
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`had both the right and ability to control the infringing activity while it received financial benefits
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`directly attributable to the infringements including from revenues generated by advertisements run
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`against infringing videos played as a result of such functions.
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`allowed users to post videos containing sound recordings of their works knowing the uploads do
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`not contain the International Standard Recording (“ISRC”) codes that are the internationally
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`recognized identification tool for sound recordings. Further, it is undisputed that YouTube’s
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`upload and transcoding process removes CMI, like a song name, included in the clip file name
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`(“CLFN”) metadata from infringing videos. Plaintiffs contend that YouTube well understood that
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`its removal or alteration of CLFN metadata including CMI, or its distribution or public display of
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`videos with CMI (including ISRC codes) removed, would likely induce, enable, facilitate, or
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`conceal infringement.
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`C.
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`Defendants’ Statements Regarding Substance of the Claims
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`YouTube is not liable for direct, contributory, or vicarious copyright infringement, because
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`Plaintiffs cannot establish the elements of any of those claims. Furthermore, YouTube has
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`affirmative defenses to Plaintiffs’ claims. Specifically, YouTube has licenses to Plaintiffs’ works,
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`6
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
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`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`

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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 9 of 27
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`and Plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the statute of limitations and contractual limitations, and
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`YouTube has a fair use defense for certain infringements. Finally, YouTube is not liable for
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`Plaintiffs’ direct or indirect copyright infringement claims because it is protected by the DMCA
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`safe harbor.2
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`YouTube also is not liable for Schneider’s claim under 17 U.S.C. § 1202 for the removal
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`of copyright management information (“CMI”) from videos containing Schneider’s works,
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`because Schneider cannot show that the elements of that claim are satisfied for either her ISRC or
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`CLFN theories. And YouTube also has affirmative license defenses that defeat Schneider’s CMI
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`claim.
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`Plaintiffs are not owed damages to the extent they could have mitigated any damages
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`caused by copyright infringement through their access to Content ID. Finally, Plaintiffs cannot
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`obtain judgment, or seek certain damages, because of their failure to register their copyrights.
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`D.
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`Defendants and Counterclaim Plaintiffs’ Statement Regarding Substance of
`the Counterclaims3
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`Defendants and Counterclaim Plaintiffs assert counterclaims against Pirate Monitor Ltd.,
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`and its sole-owner, Mr. Csupó, for violation of 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).
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`YouTube operates an online video hosting service that allows users to upload video
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`content to YouTube’s servers. Subject to limited exceptions not relevant here, YouTube allows
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`anyone who purports to act on behalf of copyright owners to submit takedown notices under
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`Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA takedown notices”).
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`Counterclaimants assert that Mr. Csupó, acting directly, on behalf of others, or through his agents
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`2 As Defendants have informed Plaintiffs and the Court, Defendants do not intend to pursue the
`DMCA safe harbor affirmative defense should the Court deny the pending class certification
`motion. ECF Nos. 310, 309-2. As Plaintiffs have informed the Court, under Rule 15, Defendants
`have no right unilaterally to amend their pleading to withdraw an affirmative defense and
`Plaintiffs do not consent to Defendants’ effort to avoid having their DMCA affirmative defense
`proceed to trial. ECF No. 309.
`3 Despite the Court’s order that Intellectual Property LLC produce documents by no later than
`April 27, 2023, Defendants did not receive the complete production of documents from
`Intellectual Property LLC until May 10, 2023, just one day before the pretrial filings are due. As a
`result, Defendants and Counterclaim Plaintiffs reserve the right to supplement or amend portions
`of this statement and other pretrial filings related to the counterclaims.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`7
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
`
`

`

`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 10 of 27
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`
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`or alter ego, knowingly submitted 1,975 false DMCA takedown notices to Counterclaimants, in
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`violation of 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). Counterclaimants further assert that Pirate Monitor Ltd. is
`
`responsible for this scheme as Mr. Csupó’s alter ego. See Dkt. 160 at ¶¶ 76-85; Dkt. 296.
`
`Counterclaimants assert that they have suffered actual damages as a result of Counterclaim
`
`Defendants’ scheme, including costs to investigate and respond to the scheme, and attorneys’ fees
`
`incurred to further investigate and pursue claims against Counterclaim Defendants.
`
`E.
`
`Counterclaim Defendants’ Statement Regarding Substance of the
`Counterclaim Defenses
`
`Mr. Csupó is a five-time Emmy award-winning producer, director, and the creator of the
`
`animated series Rugrats and many other beloved shows. He owned a company called Intellectual
`
`Property LLC (“IPLLC”) that partnered with MegaFilm Kft. (“MegaFilm”) to protect the
`
`copyrights of various Hungarian films. Mr. Csupó disputes that he had any involvement with the
`
`submission of 1,975 inaccurate takedown notices. Further, he claims that he cannot be held liable
`
`as a matter of agency and corporate law.
`
`Pirate Monitor Ltd., a British Virgin Islands corporation, sued YouTube and Google for
`
`copyright infringement of certain works unrelated to the works subject to the 1,975 takedown
`
`notices at issue, ECF No. 1, but later voluntarily dismissed its claims with prejudice, ECF No. 66.
`
`Pirate Monitor Ltd. was dormant during the period in which the 1,975 takedown notices at issue
`
`were submitted and had no role in those events and contends it cannot be held liable.
`
`II.
`
`RELIEF REQUESTED
`
`A.
`
`Plaintiffs and the Classes
`
`For their claims for violation of the Copyright Act, Plaintiffs and the Classes seek the
`
`following relief:
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`A judgment that each Defendant violated the Copyright Act;
`
` An award of actual damages equal to all profits, direct or indirect, illegally
`
`obtained by Defendants for each infringing video;
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`8
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 11 of 27
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`3.
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`In the alternative, an award of statutory damages for willful infringement for each
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`registered work that was infringed in the range of $750 to $150,000 per work given the willfulness
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`of Defendants’ violations;
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`4.
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`An order granting Plaintiffs Schneider and Uniglobe, and each member of the
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`Registered Works Class, the right to elect between the actual damages award and the statutory
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`damages award prior to the entry of judgment;
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`5.
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`An order enjoining Defendants from directly, vicariously, or contributorily
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`infringing Plaintiffs’ copyright-protected works;
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`6.
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` An order enjoining YouTube from withholding any known match of 10 seconds
`
`or more in length, for any reference file generated from a video that was the subject of a successful
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`DMCA takedown notice from the copyright claimants identified in such notices;
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`7.
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`An order directing YouTube to provide, to any copyright owner who provides
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`YouTube with a reference file, all matches longer than 10 seconds in length to any pre-existing
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`video on YouTube and any video subsequently uploaded to YouTube;
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`8.
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`9.
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`An award of pre-judgment interest;
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`An award of reasonable attorney’s fees and full costs;
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`10.
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`Any further relief that the Court may deem proper and just.
`
`For their claims for violation of the protections afforded under the DMCA to copyright
`
`management information, Plaintiffs seek the following relief:
`
`1.
`
`2.
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`A judgment that each Defendant violated 17 USC §1202 of the DMCA;
`
`An award of statutory damages for each violation of Section 1202 in the range of
`
`$2,500 to $25,000 per violation;
`
`3.
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`An order enjoining Defendants from stripping and failing to preserve any copyright
`
`management information contained in the CLFN metadata field of videos uploaded to YouTube;
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`4.
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`An order enjoining Defendants from distributing videos containing sound
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`recordings of musical works without their associated ISRC Codes or, alternatively, directing
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`Defendants to associate ISRC codes provided by any copyright claimant to any videos on
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`YouTube that digitally match the sound recording of the provided ISRC code.
`
`
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`9
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
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`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 12 of 27
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`
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`5.
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`6.
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`7.
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`B.
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`1.
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`2.
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`requested.
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`3.
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`C.
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`1
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`An award of pre-judgment interest;
`
`An award of reasonable attorney’s fees and full costs;
`
`Any further relief that the Court may deem proper and just.
`
`Defendants
`
`Defendants deny that Plaintiffs are entitled to any relief.
`
`Defendants request a judgment in favor of Defendants denying Plaintiffs all relief
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`Defendants request an award of reasonable attorneys’ fee and costs.
`
`Counterclaim Plaintiffs
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`10
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`
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`For their claim for violation of the 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), Counterclaim Plaintiffs seek the
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`following relief:
`
`1.
`
`2.
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`A judgment that Counterclaim Defendants’ actions violated 17 U.S.C. § 512(f);
`
`A permanent injunction restraining Counterclaim Defendants and their employees,
`
`agents, alter egos, or any person or entity acting on their behalf or direction or under their control
`
`from violating 17 U.S.C. § 512(f);
`
`3.
`
`An award of compensatory damages sufficient to compensate Counterclaimants for
`
`the harm caused by Counterclaim Defendants’ conduct;
`
`4.
`
`An award of Counterclaimants’ reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs
`
`incurred in connection with the Counterclaims under 17 U.S.C. § 505;
`
`5.
`
`D.
`
`Any further relief that the Court may deem just and proper.
`
`Counterclaim Defendants
`
`Counterclaim Defendants deny that Counterclaim Plaintiffs are entitled to any relief, as
`
`detailed in their motion for summary judgment. See ECF No. 260. Counterclaim Defendants also
`
`assert the following affirmative defenses:
`
`1.
`
`that the claims asserted by Counterclaim Defendants are barred by the doctrine of
`
`unclean hands; and
`
`2.
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`that the claims are barred by the doctrine of in pari delicto.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`10
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
`
`

`

`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 13 of 27
`
`
`
`III. UNDISPUTED FACTS
`
`A.
`
`Parties
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`Plaintiff Maria Schneider is a citizen of the State of New York.
`
`Plaintiff Uniglobe Entertainment, LLC is a Wyoming limited liability company
`
`with its principal place of business in Los Angeles County, California.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`Plaintiff AST Publishing Ltd. is a Russian company.
`
`Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff YouTube, LLC is a Delaware limited
`
`liability company with its principal place of business in San Bruno, California.
`
`5.
`
`Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff Google LLC is a Delaware limited liability
`
`company with its principal place of business in Mountain View, California.
`
`6.
`
`7.
`
`YouTube is a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of Defendant Google.
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Pirate Monitor Ltd. is a limited company with its principal
`
`place of business in the British Virgin Islands.
`
`8.
`
`9.
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`Counterclaim Defendant Pirate Monitor LLC does not exist.
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Gabor Csupó is citizen of Hungary and a resident of the
`
`State of California.
`
`10.
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Csupó is the sole stockholder and managing director of
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Pirate Monitor LTD.
`
`1
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`2
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`B.
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`Pleadings
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`28
`
`1.
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`Plaintiffs Schneider and Pirate Monitor Ltd. filed the Class Action Complaint on
`
`July 2, 2020.
`
`2.
`
`Defendants YouTube and Google filed their Answer and Counterclaims on
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`September 21, 2020.
`
`3.
`
`Defendants YouTube and Google filed their Amended Counterclaims on February
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`19, 2021.
`
`4.
`
`Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant Pirate Monitor Ltd. filed its Voluntary
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`Dismissal Pursuant to Stipulation Under FRCP 41(a)(1)(A)(ii) on March 8, 2021.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`11
`JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENT
`
`Case No. 3:20-cv-04423-JD
`
`

`

`Case 3:20-cv-04423-JD Document 322 Filed 05/11/23 Page 14 of 27
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`5.
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`Counterclaim Defendant Pirate Monitor Ltd. filed its Answer to Defendants’
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`Amended Counterclaims on March 12, 2021.
`
`6.
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Csupó filed his Answer to Defendants’ Amended
`
`Counterclaims on March 17, 2021.
`
`7.
`
`Plaintiffs Schneider, Uniglobe and AST filed their First Amended Class Action
`
`complaint on November 17, 2021.
`
`8.
`
`Defendants YouTube and Google filed their Answer and Counterclaims to the
`
`Amended Complaint on August 22, 2022.
`
`9.
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Pirate Monitor Ltd. filed its Answer to Defendants’
`
`Amended Counterclaims on March 12, 2021.
`
`10.
`
`Counterclaim Defendant Csupó filed his Answer to Defendants’ Amended
`
`Counterclaims on March 17, 2021.
`
`13
`
`
`
`C.
`
`Stipulated Facts Regarding Counterclaims
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`14
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`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`Pirate Monitor LLC does not exist.
`
`Pirate Monitor Ltd. was dormant in 2019.
`
`Mr. Csupó acquired Pirate Monitor Ltd. in January 2020.
`
`Mr. Csupó did not own Pirate Monitor Ltd. in 2019.
`
`Videos that are the subject of the 1,975 DMCA takedown notices at issue in
`
`Defendants’ counterclaims were uploads authorized by their respective copyright owners.
`
`6.
`
`Videos that are the subject of the 1,975 DMCA takedown notices at issue in
`
`Defendants’ counterclaims were uploaded in four batches between August and November 2019.
`
`7.
`
`Gabor Csupó purchased Pirate Monitor Ltd. after submission of the 1,975
`
`takedown notices at issue in Defendants’ counterclaims.
`
`8.
`
`Pirate Monitor Ltd. entered into a License Agreement with MegaFilm dated
`
`January 24, 2020 for the rights to the usage of Juska Menni Amerika, Zimmer F

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