WWE Files Lawsuit Against BitTorrent Users

The company's crackdown on internet piracy continues.

by Andy H Murray
Eliminators Movie
Universal Pictures

According to World Intellectual Property Review, WWE have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a group of BitTorrent users for illegally downloading Eliminators, a 2016 movie from WWE Studios. Released last October, the film features former WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett in a supporting role.

As per the report, the suit was filed on Thursday, April 6th in Connecticut. It alleges that the unidentified defendants used BitTorrent downloading services to "unlawfully acquire, reproduce, and distribute" the movie, thus infringing on WWE's copyright.

The defendants were tracked down by WWE, who used forensic software to identify and locate the IP addresses associated by the alleged infringements. As noted in the suit, BitTorrent is "one of the most common" peer-to-peer file sharing protocols with millions of global users, but WWE has opted against suing the companies behind the software.

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Along with illegally downloading the film, WWE added that because the files in question were copied to each defendant's computer, they also distributed the work by making it available for other BitTorrent users to download. At this stage, WWE are seeking actual damages, statutory damages of $150,000 per infringement, along with all legal costs and a jury trial.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.