Warner/Chappell Music Inc. et al. v. Fullscreen Inc. et al. (13-cv-05472) was a case against multi-channel network Fullscreen, filed by the National Music Publishers Association on behalf of Warner/Chappell Music and 15 other music publishers, which alleged that Fullscreen illegally reaped the profits of unlicensed cover videos on YouTube without paying any royalties to the rightful publishers and songwriters. According to the lawsuit, the defendant Fullscreen was accused of having "willfully ignored their obligation to obtain licenses and pay royalties to exploit the vast majority of the musical content disseminated over Fullscreen's networks." Among the musical content that Fullscreen allegedly infringed upon were songs by Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Kanye West, and Katy Perry. Facts The National Music Publishers Association filed this copyright infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on August 6, 2013, accusing Fullscreen of 4 distinct copyright violations: 1) direct copyright infringement, 2) contributory copyright infringement, 3) inducement of copyright infringement, and 4) vicarious copyright infringement. By way of explanation, the plaintiff suggested that Fullscreen 1) copied directly from another's work without a license (direct infringement), 2) contributed to and supported its partners' infringement (contributory copyright infringement), 3) is liable for the actions of its partners' infringement and directly profited financially from the act (vicarious infringement), and 4) aided/induced the act of infringement knowingly. Prior to this, the NMPA filed a similar lawsuit against another multi-channel network, Maker Studios, which then very promptly agreed to settle out of court and to establish a compensation model for both past infringements and future licenses that fully comply with the Copyright Act. NMPA The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) is the largest trade association that represents American music publishers and songwriters, including Warner/Chappell Music and Palm Valley Music. It was founded in 1917, and currently hosts more than 300 members. Its primary mission is to protect the rights of publishers and songwriters, in both domestic and international matters. It aims to maintain a music business environment that fosters financial and creative success of artists, with its particular focus on affiliated publishers and songwriters. Fullscreen Fullscreen is one of the largest YouTube multi-channel networks that generates over 3 billion monthly video views across all of their channels. This multimillion-dollar company was founded in January 2011 by CEO George Strompolos, and houses some of YouTube's most successful talent, including Lindsey Stirling, The Fine Brothers, Tyler Ward, and Megan Nicole. According to