A milestone in the fight against audiovisual piracy
In an unprecedented move, LaLiga and Movistar Plus+ have filed a lawsuit that has been accepted for processing against Matthew Prince, the CEO of Cloudflare Inc., for alleged crimes related to audiovisual piracy. This case marks the first time a senior executive from a US tech company has been summoned to testify in Spain over intellectual property issues.
The Court of Instruction number 50 in Madrid has set April 7 as the date when Prince must appear as an investigated party. The accusations include not only crimes against intellectual property but also threats and obstruction of justice, according to sources from the court.
The lawsuit details three significant crimes: violations of intellectual property rights, coercion, and obstruction of judicial authorities. It is argued that Cloudflare Inc. and its CEO have taken actions to prevent the effective enforcement of a ruling issued by the Commercial Court number 6 in Barcelona last December. This ruling allowed LaLiga and Movistar Plus+ to notify Internet service providers about IP addresses that facilitated illegal access to protected content.
According to data provided by LaLiga and Movistar Plus+, it is estimated that approximately 38% of illegal platforms that broadcast audiovisual content in Spain use the technological services offered by Cloudflare. This includes their content delivery network (CDN) and systems that hide real IP addresses, allowing them to operate with greater impunity.
Despite having received over 114 formal requests to cease illegal activities, it is claimed that Cloudflare has not taken effective measures to block these platforms. The plaintiffs assert that the company has the technical capacity to do so but chooses not to act.
Increasing tensions, Matthew Prince has made public statements challenging European court rulings. On previous occasions, he has hinted that complying with such decisions could compromise essential services in Europe. These statements are seen as indicative of a deliberate intention on the part of the CEO to hinder legal compliance.
The lawsuit also highlights the economic damages caused by activities allegedly facilitated by Cloudflare, estimating annual losses exceeding 859 million euros. It is argued that this situation greatly benefits Cloudflare while contributing to the exponential growth of illegal access to sports broadcasts.
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