A legal dispute spanning more than 15 years between video-sharing platform Vimeo and major music labels has reached a pivotal moment, with a federal appeals court decisively ruling in Vimeo’s favor.
The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected music labels’ claims against Vimeo, confirming the company’s protection under digital copyright laws. This ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Universal Music Group and Sony Music, who accused Vimeo of allowing copyrighted music in user-uploaded videos.
At the heart of the case was whether Vimeo’s staff had “red flag knowledge” of copyright infringements, a claim that would have stripped the company of legal protections. The court’s decision effectively shields Vimeo from liability, provided it continues to remove copyrighted content when properly notified.
This isn’t the first time Vimeo has successfully defended itself. Previous court rulings in 2016 and 2021 similarly found in the platform’s favor, though music labels persistently appealed.
