Los Angeles – Animation firm FUNimation has filed copyright infringement claims against over 1,400 users of the BitTorrent file-sharing service, alleging they downloaded the film “The Legend Is Born: IP Man,” Anime News Network reported.
The suit follows another set of claims filed by FUNimation in January, against alleged downloaders of its “One Piece” property.
The current claims concern a film that FUNimation recently acquired the rights to, and plans to distribute in the U.S. in the fall.
However, the film was released in Hong Kong last summer; import DVDs are on sale in the U.S., and the movie first appeared on file-sharing services last July.
“The practice of illegal downloads is very harmful to our partners and as their rights are applicable, and enforceable, worldwide, we will continue to monitor and take action as needed,” FUNimation told GigaOM.
Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/3m77ob4 (Anime News Network)
http://gigaom.com/video/funimation-ip-man-bittorrent-lawsuit
