The filmmakers have filed a lawsuit targeting 11 users of the popular Popcorn Time software. They claim that the service doesn't have any reasonable legitimate use, and the users should have been aware of that.

While Internet subscribers are normally sued for sharing copyrighted content via BitTorrent network in general, the makers of the 2014 comedy “The Cobbler” focused on a particular torrent client and singled out Popcorn Time users. This software also uses BitTorrent under the hood, but it also allows browsing through a library of movies and streaming these from within the app. Popcorn Time users connect to public BitTorrent swarms, and therefore copyright holders can easily track down pirates. This is what happened to 11 Popcorn Time users who allegedly viewed and shared “The Cobbler”.

It is unclear why the filmmakers decided to single out Popcorn Time users, but it is known that the same studio has launched lawsuits against BitTorrent users before.

In the meantime, the Popcorn Time website and client always inform users that its use may be illegal – for instance, the Popcorn Time website has a clear warning both on its homepage and in the FAQ.