CASE 7.2 FEDERAL COURT CASE Copyright Infringement Disney Enterprises, Inc. v. VidAngel, Inc. 869 F.3d 848 (2017), United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Facts: Disney Enterprises, Lucasfilm Limited, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, and Warner Brothers Entertainment (the Studios) produce and distribute copyrighted motion pictures and television shows. VidAngel, Inc. operates an online streaming service that removes objectionable content from movies and televisions shows. VidAngel streams filtered versions of the works to customers at rates of $1 to $2 per movie or television episode per night. VidAngel offers thousands of edited movies and television episodes on its service. The Studios sued VidAngel for copyright infringement.

Should VidAngel be enjoined from streaming altered versions of the Studios' movies and television programs?

Do you think that the defendant engaged in copyright infringement?

What do you think the defendant's motive was for creating the filtered versions of the Studios' copyrighted works?