Settlement ends isoHunt music copyright legal saga

VANCOUVER – Music Canada says a settlement has ended a near decade-old legal fight with a now-defunct search engine, which was once one of the most popular websites for downloading songs and movies.

Gary Fung, founder of isoHunt Web Technologies, filed a petition with the British Columbia Supreme Court in 2008 seeking to have his BitTorrent search website declared legal under the federal Copyright Act.

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That kicked off several back-and-forth legal skirmishes between Fung and Music Canada, including a lawsuit from two dozen Canadian and international music companies that alleged isoHunt and Fung committed copyright infringement.

Music Canada, a trade group that represents record companies including Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music, says under the agreement, isoHunt and Fung are liable for C$65 million in damages and punitive damages.

The settlement comes after Fung agreed in 2013 to shut down Vancouver-based isoHunt and was deemed liable by a U.S. court for US$110 million.