Shopify Inc.
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denied that it’s accountable for alleged copyright and trademark infringement by on-line sellers utilizing its platform, responding to a lawsuit filed by textbook publishers.
A bunch of 5 academic publishers, together with Pearson Training Inc. and McGraw Hill LLC, sued Shopify in December. Their go well with claims the e-commerce firm is accountable for the unauthorized college textbooks, take a look at packs and options manuals offered by web sites utilizing Shopify’s companies.
Shopify sells know-how that allows folks to place up web sites, settle for on-line funds, and ship and monitor orders to prospects.
The e-commerce firm stated Friday in its rejoinder to the lawsuit that it complies with current copyright legal guidelines handed by Congress, which usually protect web infrastructure firms from being sued for copyright violations dedicated by customers.
The publishers might not just like the legal guidelines, Shopify stated, however the court docket is the improper venue to compel adjustments to current guidelines.
“This lawsuit is an try to do by way of this Courtroom what Plaintiffs couldn’t obtain within the legislative sphere,” stated Shopify in its response, filed within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Japanese District of Virginia.
The corporate additionally denied the allegation that it hasn’t accomplished sufficient to cease the unlawful sale of textbooks from web sites that use Shopify’s on-line instruments. “Shopify has swiftly responded to Plaintiffs’ notices of infringement, taken down huge portions of allegedly infringing supplies, and terminated repeat unhealthy actors,” stated the corporate.
Shopify stated it responded to greater than 5,000 takedown requests despatched by the textbook publishers, involving greater than 1,750 retailers and greater than 50,000 internet addresses. Shopify stated greater than 90% of these internet addresses have been taken down.
Although Shopify relies in Canada, the publishers are suing the corporate in Virginia as a result of the corporate has servers situated in Ashburn, Va.
“We’re assured in our authorized place, and we’re glad to see that Shopify agrees they’re topic to U.S. regulation and a U.S. court docket,” stated Matt Oppenheim, considered one of attorneys for the publishing group.
Write to Vipal Monga at vipal.monga@wsj.com
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Appeared within the January 29, 2022, print version.
