Category: Business

The three major music companies and Spotify are seeking $322.2 million in damages from shadow library Anna’s Archive, after the pirate group allegedly released millions of music files in defiance of a court order.

As previously reported by MBW, the lawsuit was filed on January 2, 2026, after Anna’s Archive announced in December 2025 that it had scraped approximately 86 million music files from Spotify and planned to distribute them via BitTorrent.

The plaintiffs describe the scraping as “brazen theft of millions of files containing nearly all of the world’s commercial sound recordings.”

A motion for default judgment and an accompanying memorandum of law in support of the motion were filed on March 25 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York — asking the court to rule in the plaintiffs’ favour without trial, given the defendant’s “failure to answer or otherwise defend against the claims in the Complaint.” You can read the statement of damages here and the memorandum here.

Anna’s Archive was placed in default on February 2 after failing to respond to the lawsuit.

Despite a court order issued by Judge Jed S. Rakoff on January 20 prohibiting Anna’s Archive from distributing copyrighted works, the filings reveal that the pirate group released a portion of the scraped files on or around February 9 via 47 separate torrents — in what the plaintiffs describe as “blatant disregard of the Preliminary Injunction.”

“Defendant’s contempt of the Court’s preliminary injunction order is flagrant and indisputable,” the memorandum states.

The plaintiffs include labels of Universal Music Group (UMG Recordings, Capitol Records), Sony Music Entertainment (Arista Music, Arista Records, Zomba Recording), and Warner Music Group (Atlantic Recording Corporation, Atlantic Music Group, Bad Boy Records, Elektra Entertainment, Fueled by Ramen, Warner Music International Services, Warner Records). Spotify is also a co-plaintiff.

The memorandum states that the torrents collectively made 2,806,041 individual music files available for download, including sound recordings owned by one or more of the record company plaintiffs. The links were removed from Anna’s Archive’s websites around February 11, but the plaintiffs note that due to the nature of BitTorrent, the files remain publicly available through the peer-to-peer network.

The $322.2 million total breaks down as follows: the record company plaintiffs are seeking $22.2 million in maximum statutory damages for willful copyright infringement — calculated at $150,000 for each of 148 sound recordings identified in the complaint.

Spotify is separately seeking $300 million in DMCA damages for circumvention of its digital rights management technology — calculated at $2,500 for each of the 120,000 files that the plaintiffs actually downloaded from the torrents during their investigation.

The plaintiffs describe the damages request — the first time a specific figure has been sought in the case — as “extremely conservative.” If Spotify sought DMCA damages on all 2.8 million released files, the total would exceed $7 billion. The record companies describe the 148 works cited as merely “an illustrative sample.”

The memorandum also cites Anna’s Archive’s own admissions. The filing states that Anna’s Archive has publicly acknowledged that it “deliberately violate[s] the copyright law in most countries,” and that its operators remain anonymous because those who run pirate libraries are “at high risk of being arrested” and “could face decades of prison time.”

The plaintiffs characterize Anna’s Archive as “an organization notorious for its admittedly illegal conduct.”

The court must now rule on the motion.Music Business Worldwide

Minnesota’s flagship event on the Capitol lawn in St. Paul drew Bruce Springsteen as its headliner. He and other speakers praised the state’s people for taking to the streets over the winter in opposition to a surge of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents.

Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis,” the song he wrote in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. Springsteen lamented Good and Pretti’s deaths but said the state’s pushback against ICE has given the rest of the country hope.

“Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America,” he said. “And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand.”

People rallied from New York City, with almost 8.5 million residents in a solidly blue state, to Driggs, a town of fewer than 2,000 people in eastern Idaho, a state Trump carried with 66% of the vote in 2024.

Biggest crowds yet expected

U.S. organizers have estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people in June and 7 million in October.This week they told reporters they expected 9 million participants Saturday, though it was too early to tell whether those expectations were met.

Organizers said more than 3,100 events — 500 more than in October — were registered, in all 50 states.

In Topeka, Kansas, a rally outside the Statehouse had people impersonating a frog king and Trump as a baby. Wendy Wyatt drove with “Cats Against Trump” sign from Lawrence, 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the east, and planned to drive back to her hometown for a later rally there.

Wyatt said “there are so many things” about the Trump administration that upset her, but “this is very hopeful to me.”

GOP officials dismissive of protests

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson characterized them as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.

The “only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” Jackson said in a statement.

The National Republican Congressional Committee was also sharply critical.

“These Hate America Rallies are where the far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone,” NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said.

Protesters have a long list of causes

Trump’s immigration enforcement push, particularly in Minnesota, was just one item on a long list of protester grievances that also included the war in Iran and the rollback of transgender rights. Speakers at the Minnesota rally decried billionaires’ economic power.

In Washington, hundreds marched past the Lincoln Memorial and into the National Mall, holding signs that read “Put down the crown, clown” and “Regime change begins at home.” Demonstrators rang bells, played drums and chanted “No kings.”

Bill Jarcho was there from Seattle, joined by six people dressed as insects wearing tactical vests that said, “LICE” — spoofing ICE, as part of what he called a “mock and awe” tour.

“What we provide is mockery to the king,” Jarcho said. “It’s about taking authoritarianism and making fun of it, which they hate.”

About 40,000 people marched in San Diego, police there said.

In New York, Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said during a news conference that Trump and his supporters want people to be afraid to protest.

“They want us to be afraid that there’s nothing we can do to stop them,” she said. “But you know what? They are wrong — dead wrong.”

Organizers said two-thirds of RSVPs for the rallies came from outside of major urban centers. That included communities in conservative-leaning states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota and Louisiana, as well in electorally competitive suburbs in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.

Main event at the Minnesota Capitol

Organizers designated the rally there as the national flagship event.

Before Springsteen took the stage, organizers played a video in which actor Robert DeNiro said he wakes up every morning depressed because of Trump but was happier Saturday because millions of people were protesting. He also congratulated Minnesotans for running ICE out of town.

The bill also included singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda, Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and a long list of activists, labor leaders and elected officials.

Protesters held up a massive sign on the Capitol steps that read, “We had whistles, they had guns. The revolution starts in Minneapolis.”

“Donald Trump may pretend that he’s not listening, but he can’t ignore the millions in the streets today,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Rallies outside the US

Demonstrations were also planned in more than a dozen other countries, from Europe to Latin America to Australia, Ezra Levin, a co-executive director of Indivisible, a group spearheading the events, said in an interview. In countries with constitutional monarchies, people call the protests “No Tyrants,” he said.

In Rome, thousands marched with defiant chants aimed at Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose conservative government saw its referendum for streamlining Italy’s judiciary fail badly this week amid criticism that it was a threat to the courts’ independence. Protesters also waved banners protesting Israeli and US attacks on Iran, calling for “A world free from wars.”

In London, people protesting the war held banners with slogans such as “Stop the far right” and “Stand up to Racism.”

And in Paris, several hundred people, mostly Americans living in France, along with labor unions and human rights organizations, gathered at the Bastille.

“I protest all of Trump’s illegal, immoral, reckless, and feckless, endless wars,” rally organizer Ada Shen said.

The US-Israel conflict with Iran has disrupted global energy, especially in Asia, as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, limiting 20% of oil shipments. Countries like India, China, Japan, and South Korea are adopting strategies such as stockpiling, subsidies, or seeking alternative sources. Vietnam and the Philippines face severe shortages amid rising fuel prices and supply disruptions

Impact of Middle East War on Asian Energy Security

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has severely affected Asia, the world’s largest consumer of Middle Eastern oil. The Strait of Almos, a critical energy corridor where about 20% of global oil and gas supplies pass, has seen disruptions since Iran effectively shut it down, blocking shipments primarily destined for Asian nations. Attacks on energy infrastructure across the region have further reduced production, heightening concerns over energy shortages across Asian countries.

Diverse Responses Among Asian Countries

Asian nations are responding differently to the crisis. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh face significant challenges due to their heavy dependence on Gulf energy supplies; India has invoked emergency measures and turned to unsanctioned Russian supplies. In contrast, China has managed better, thanks to pre-war stockpiles and its ongoing trade with Iran and Russia. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have implemented energy voucher programs and reserve strategies, while Thailand and Indonesia have introduced fuel caps and subsidies to stabilize prices.

Struggling Nations and Strategic Measures

In Thailand, an oil shock caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could have several noticeable effects:

1. Higher Fuel Prices

• At the pump: Gasoline and diesel prices would likely rise quickly, making it more expensive to drive cars, motorbikes, and trucks.
• Transportation costs: Taxis, buses, and delivery services would charge more, affecting daily commutes and the cost of goods.

2. Increased Cost of Living

• Food prices: Since food is transported by trucks and ships, higher fuel costs can make groceries more expensive.
• Electricity bills: Thailand uses oil for some electricity generation, so bills could go up.

3. Impact on Tourism

• Air travel: Higher jet fuel prices could make flights more expensive, potentially reducing the number of tourists visiting Thailand.
• Local travel: Tourists and locals might cut back on trips if fuel and transport costs rise.

Vietnam and the Philippines are among the most vulnerable, with limited reserves and declared energy emergencies to control distribution. Vietnam’s reserves last about 20 days, while the Philippines’ president has empowered authorities to prioritize fuel distribution amid shortages. These measures reflect the varying degrees of energy security challenges faced by Asian nations amid the Middle Eastern conflict.

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