On March 24, the Court of Appeals of New York held that New York-based plaintiffs in Internet copyright-infringement lawsuits may, under New York law, sue infringers in federal courts located in New York, rather than resorting to courts located in the infringers' jurisdictions. The federal trial court in the case previously had reached a different conclusion, holding that New York's long-arm jurisdiction statute did not give New York-based courts jurisdiction to hear Penguin Group's complaint over the unauthorized, online distribution of four books by the Oregon-based defendant. However, the Court of appeals - New York's highest court - disagreed, stating that the "intangible and ubiquitous" nature of the Internet complicates traditional analyses into where tortious injuries occur. "This case represents a significant win for content owners and publishers, since it means that state laws may give them the ability to conduct their rights-enforcement activities at home, rather than in infringers' jurisdictions," says Christopher Barnett, an attorney with Scott & Scott, LLP. "However, the Court of Appeals left it to the trial court to determine whether an exercise of jurisdiction over the defendant would satisfy federal law. It will be interesting to see how Penguin is able to use this holding to its advantage in the litigation (and appeals) sure to follow." For more information, please contact Mr. Barnett at 800-596-6176, or cbarnett@scottandscottllp.com.