• ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    13 hours ago

    The problem for Curtis was one item she sold: a T-shirt of a frowning purple and yellow cat. She said the sale had been made just before the US lawsuit was launched against her. The T-shirt had sat unsold for years on her site.

    Conspiracy theory: the lawyers purchased that shirt so they could launch a stronger lawsuit against her.

  • Ogmios@sh.itjust.works
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    16 hours ago

    In September last year, the court ruled a default judgment in favour of Grumpy Cat Ltd. The company was awarded damages of US$100,000 per defendant.

    If the payments were made in full, the company would win more than US$24m.

    Curtis earned just over US$1 from the sale. In the six years she had been running her store, she had generated about US$200 in revenue.

    This is why copyright laws are a joke to the public. Corporations can infringe with wanton abandon and pay pennies on the dollar as just a cost of doing business. Random nobody makes a simple mistake and gets raked over the coals for ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND times what she actually made.

    • x00z@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      The company was awarded damages of US$100,000 per defendant.

      “Damages”

      • Ogmios@sh.itjust.works
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        15 hours ago

        How can you call that logic? Clearly, as she must pay $24m for a copyright claim, then those corporations ought to also pay around $24m for their legal obligations.

      • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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        9 hours ago

        You’re right. The intent of copyright was ostensibly to protect artists’ ability to make a living off their work.