Spanski Enterprises, Inc. v. Telewizja Polska, S.A.
Civil Action No. 2012-0957
| D.D.C. | Feb 14, 2017Background
- SEI sued Telewizja Polska S.A. (TVP) for copyright infringement of 51 registered TVP Polonia episodes; the court previously found infringement and willfulness.
- The court solicited briefing on statutory damages after finding infringement.
- SEI sought the maximum willful-damages award: $150,000 per work (total $7,650,000).
- TVP argued for a minimal award tied to market/actual harm: $1,800 per work (total $91,800), and contended SEI suffered no actual damages and should have mitigated.
- The court rejected TVP’s mitigation and market-value arguments, emphasized willfulness, prior infringement history (including a 2009 settlement), evidence-manipulation by TVP, and obstruction of information relevant to actual damages.
- The court awarded statutory damages of $60,000 per work, totaling $3,060,000, citing deterrence and punitive/compensatory purposes of statutory damages.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether statutory damages are appropriate and in what amount | SEI: maximum willful statutory damages ($150,000/work) to punish and deter | TVP: statutory damages should reflect actual/market harm; minimal award ($1,800/work) | Court awarded $60,000/work based on willfulness, history, deterrence, and obstruction of facts |
| Whether statutory damages must relate to actual damages | SEI: statutory damages need not match actual damages; Congress allowed election of statutory relief | TVP: statutory damages should be reasonably related to actual harm | Court held actual damages not required; statutory damages may be awarded independent of proven actual loss |
| Whether TVP’s conduct was willful | SEI: TVP voluntarily removed territorial restrictions and infringed after licensing SEI | TVP: disputed willfulness (argued court erred) | Court found willful infringement (volitional acts, knowledge via license to SEI) |
| Whether plaintiff had a duty to mitigate statutory damages | SEI: no duty to mitigate statutory damages | TVP: SEI should have mitigated upon discovering infringement | Court rejected mitigation argument; no authority imposes mitigation obligation for statutory damages |
Key Cases Cited
- Capitol Records, Inc. v. Thomas-Rasset, 692 F.3d 899 (8th Cir. 2012) (statutory damages serve public and private interests, including deterrence)
- Sony Corp. of Am. v. Universal City Studios, 464 U.S. 417 (U.S. 1984) (copyright balances private incentive and public access)
- Sony BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum, 719 F.3d 67 (1st Cir. 2013) (statutory damages need not be tied to actual damages; deterrence is a proper consideration)
- Dream Games of Arizona, Inc. v. PC Onsite, 561 F.3d 983 (9th Cir. 2009) (statutory damages serve compensatory and punitive purposes to discourage infringement)
- Superior Form Builders, Inc. v. Dan Chase Taxidermy Supply Co., 74 F.3d 488 (4th Cir. 1996) (defendant’s prior infringement history is relevant in statutory-damages calculus)