July 25 Hearing Set on Grande's Opposed Motion to Stay Judgment Execution

U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell set a 90-minute Zoom hearing for July 25 at 10 a.m. CDT on defendant Grande Communications Networks’ opposed motion to stay execution of judgment and its motion for a waiver of bond, said a Thursday order (see docket 1:17-cv-00365) in U.S. District Court for Western Texas in Austin. Grande, seeking to vacate a Nov. 3 jury verdict awarding Universal Music Group and other music labels $46.8 million in damages for Grande’s willful contributory infringement of 1,403 copyrighted works, said Wednesday a requirement that it post a bond pending its appeal of the lawsuit is a “punitive measure that would serve only to enrich the company that issues the bond.” In its Wednesday reply in support of its motion for stay and the bond waiver, Grande said it presented a “sworn declaration” with evidence showing it can draw on a $455 million revolving line of credit through at least 2025 to satisfy the judgment. “That is more than enough to show that it would be a waste of money to require Grande to spend $4 million per year on a bond,” it said.