Comment from IFPI on the Hamburg Appeal Court’s decision to uphold its order against hosting provider of YouTube-DL

25th November 2024 - "We welcome the decision from the Hamburg Appeal Court dismissing the defendant's appeal in its entirety and confirming the Regional Court's decision to issue an injunction requiring the defendant to stop hosting the stream ripping software YouTube-dl and also confirming that the defendant was obliged to pay damages. The decision is final and The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg has not authorised an appeal. The software tool has enabled countless stream ripping services to steal music from legitimate, licensed platforms and take revenues away from artists and rightsholders.

"This is a powerful message not only to those operating ripping services that they should cease their illegal activity, but also to online intermediaries providing services to infringers that they cannot continue to benefit from illegal activities without consequences."

Notes to editors:

In March 2023, following action taken by IFPI and BVMI, its National Group in Germany, the Hamburg Regional Court issued an injunction requiring the individual hosting the stream ripping software YouTube-DL to stop hosting the software. The software had been allowing users to download content directly from YouTube, thereby circumventing YouTube's technical protection measures applied to protect licensed streamed content from unauthorised downloading. The court found the defendant liable for aiding and abetting the circumvention of technical protection measures and also liable for aiding and abetting the distribution of the circumvention software. Further the court confirmed the defendant was required to pay damages. Further information can be found here.

About IFPI

IFPI is the voice of the recording industry worldwide, representing over 8,000 record company members across the globe. We work to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music around the world.

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