Third-Party Service Provider Subject To "Grooveshark" Injunction

Arista Records, LLC v. Tkach, No. 15-CV-3701 (AJN), 2015 BL 182234 (S.D.N.Y. June 03, 2015).

A third-party service provider is bound by and subject to the TRO and preliminary injunction in the Grooveshark case, finds Judge Nathan in the Southern District of New York.  The Court concluded that CloudFlare wasin active concert or participation with the Defendants based on the following facts: (1) CloudFlare admittedly owns and operates the authoritative domain name server for the new Grooveshark sites, which connects users entering the Grooveshark domain names into a web browser to the specific IP address associated with that site; (2) CloudFlare provides other services designed to improve the performance of the new Grooveshark sites; and (3) CloudFlare began providing its services to grooveshark.li after it acknowledged receipt of the TRO.  Furthermore, for the purpose of determining whether CloudFlare is in active concert or participation with the Defendants, it is not determinative that CloudFlare's services are automated, that CloudFlare lacks a specific desire or motivation to help the Defendants violate the injunction, or that the Grooveshark sites would continue to exist even without CloudFlare's assistance. The Court thus hereby concludes and clarifies that CloudFlare was bound by the TRO and is now bound by the existing preliminary injunction.