A Brazilian court has convicted the owner of Yout, a US-based free YouTube video download website, on charges of copyright infringement.
John Nader, an American citizen who operates Yout from the United States, was found guilty by the 12th Criminal Court of São Paulo. The court ruled that the website allows users to bypass video platforms’ security features in ways that violate copyright law.
The ruling, reported by TorrentFreak, imposes a fine estimated at around $55,000. Nader is expected to appeal the verdict, and further legal consequences remain possible if the conviction is upheld.
Although Yout is based in the US, the Brazilian court argued that because Brazilian users accessed the free YouTube video download website, it falls under Brazilian copyright law. Judges described the platform as a tool that facilitates piracy rather than legal personal use.
The legal dispute began in 2021 when Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a complaint. In 2022, prosecutors offered to suspend criminal prosecution if Nader agreed to pay a fine of about $400,000, but he declined.
Nader has cited the 1984 US Supreme Court “Betamax case,” which allowed personal recording of TV programs for later viewing, as a legal precedent. His team argued that Yout operates like an online DVR. The Brazilian court rejected this argument.
Following the conviction, Brazilian ISPs have started blocking access to Yout.com. Updates on the appeal and further actions are expected in the coming months.
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