File-sharing site TorrentSpy has been ordered to pay 110 million dollars in damages to the Motion Picture Association of America for copyright infringement, dpa reported.
TorrentSpy did not host the copyrighted materials but just provided links to them. The ruling represents a major victory for US entertainment companies in their bid to rein in rampant sharing of music and movies over the internet. The site closed down in March and its owners have filed for bankruptcy.
The judgement is one of the largest fines ever handed down for copyright theft and came after a two-year legal battle. The ruling was issued on Monday, but was not made widely available until Thursday. In the four-page ruling, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper of US District Court in Los Angeles said that TorrentSpy had to pay 30,000 dollars for "each of the 3,699 infringements shown".
"This substantial money judgement sends a strong message about the illegality of these sites," said Dan Glickman, chairman of the MPAA. "The demise of TorrentSpy is a clear victory for the studios."