Netflix, Bell, Disney, Universal, and Hollywood Win Piracy Case in Canada Against Soap2Day

• A court order to block pirate sites via Canadian Internet Service providers was issued recently.
• Notorious pirate streaming platform Soap2Day and its associated domains closed voluntarily as a result.
• The legal proceedings followed filings from Netflix, Bell, Disney, Universal, and other major stakeholders.

The Federal Court of Canada has issued a groundbreaking site-blocking order obligating Canadian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to restrict access to several domains associated with well-known pirate streaming platform Soap2Day. This judgment follows a legal filing by Netflix, Bell, Disney, Universal, and other major Hollywood studios.

The legal proceedings, initiated in May 2023, took aim at the anonymous operators ("John Doe" defendants) of Soap2Day. Accused of blatant copyright violations, the defendants failed to contest the accusations in court. 

Following the issuance of the lawsuit, several related domains, including Soap2Day.to, were voluntarily shut down by their operators.

However, while these primary domains ceased operation, the Soap2Day "brand" persisted, with new domains under different names—such as Soap2day.day and Soap2day.rs—emerging to continue piracy operations.

Given these developments, Netflix and its co-plaintiffs pursued additional measures to curb the platform’s activities. Justice Simon Fothergill of the Federal Court concluded that the operators engaged in deliberate and egregious misconduct. 

The court's decision mandated damages of several million Canadian dollars to deter future copyright violations, requiring each defendant to pay millions in compensatory damages, imposing punitive damages of $1 million, and levying an additional $400,000 in joint liability damages.

While these financial penalties are substantial, the anonymous nature of the Soap2Day operators presents challenges in enforcement. Aware of these limitations, Netflix and the other plaintiffs sought a broader resolution—a court-approved site-blocking order.

Justice Fothergill sanctioned a blocking order requiring major Canadian ISPs to block access to specified Soap2Day domains, such as Soap2day.day and Soap2day.pe. Critically, the order allows for the inclusion of future domains tied to the Soap2Day brand, ensuring that emerging iterations of the platform can be effectively curbed. 

The court must approve any updates to the blocklist. The order will remain active for two years. After this period, the rightsholders may request an extension.

In other recent news, the Japanese Content Overseas Distribution Association closed 15 more websites, including the third most popular in Brazil, on behalf of major rights holders Toei Animation, Toho, and Bandai Namco Filmworks.