VidAngel Settles Copyright Case, Will Come Out of Bankruptcy

VidAngel Settles Copyright Case, Will Come Out of Bankruptcy

By Allyson Vannatta, Senior Writer

VidAngel reached a settlement in their copyright case with Disney and Warner Bros.

Movieguide® previously reported that major studios claimed, “VidAngel accomplishes the very core of its service, which is copying and streaming copyrighted motion picture content, by violating copyright law and plaintiffs’ rights.”

VidAngel’s goal is to attract more conservative, faith-based audiences to their streaming site by showing popular TV shows and movies without offensive content that’s not family-friendly.

This ultimately got the company in hot water with studios who didn’t approve of them using their content.

Years later, the final verdict has been delivered to the streaming site.

The Provo, Utah-based company’s finalized settlement allows them to “emerge from bankruptcy,” which the company declared in 2017.

VidAngel CEO Neal Harmon said in a statement obtained by the AP,

“After a long and extremely difficult legal battle in one of the biggest copyright cases in decades, we have finally come to an agreement in which VidAngel can emerge from bankruptcy and move forward as a rapidly growing company. As with any compromise, we had to make painfully difficult concessions to arrive at this agreement, as did Disney and Warner Brothers. We want to thank the team at Disney and Warner Brothers for negotiating this settlement in good faith. We also want to thank our fans and supporters, millions of people who have stood with us through thick and thin over the last four years of a battle that all-too-often looked lost and hopeless. Now, we can reward you for all of your support with incredible original content like The Chosen and Dry Bar Comedy and expand our mission to help you make entertainment good for your home.”

The overview of the legal settlement is as follows.

VidAngel was originally supposed to pay Disney and Warner Bros. $62.4 million in the District Court judgement. Now, the studios have agreed to compromise and bring the debt down to $9.9 million that will be paid back by VidAngel over the next 14 years.

The family-friendly streaming company has agreed “not to decrypt, copy, stream or distribute content of Disney, Warner Brothers, and their affiliates without permission from the Studios.”

Finally, VidAngel agreed to drop the 9^th Circuit legal appeal.

VidAngel is home to the Movieguide® award winning series THE CHOSEN.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

VidAngel Settles Copyright Case, Will Come Out of Bankruptcy

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