Molotov must pay €7m to M6 and cease streaming
December 10, 2021
French OTT platform Molotov has been forbidden by a Paris Court to stream M6’s channels (M6, W9, 6ter), which have been distributed without authorisation over the last three years.
Molotov must also pay €7 million to M6 Group, for breaching the rights. An amount of €15,000 has been added for brand infringement, as Molotov had illegally reproduced M6 logos and channels brands, and another €100,000 for ‘free-riding’.
Molotov has a week to stop offering the channels.
The Court’s judgement comes after several years of fruitless negotiations between the two parties regarding the channels’ distribution. Talks are still on-going between the two groups according to unofficial sources.
Cofounded by Jean-David Blanc, Jean-Marc Denoual and Pierre Lescure, the platform was acquired last November by US pay TV service FuboTV for €164.3 million.
Molotov has more than 17 million users and 250.000 pay subscribers in France.