Media 24
Two residents of Oudtshoorn will soon appear in the High Court in Cape Town after they were sued by Network24 for allegedly distributing online publications on WhatsApp groups.
The women are 56-year-old Leanda van den Berg and 57-year-old Christina Gorgens.
Both were allegedly the administrators of a WhatsApp group that distributed PDF versions of the publications for free over several months.
CEO of Media24, Ishmet Davidson told the Oudtshoorn Courant that the specific group was not only one of the largest but also one of the most blatant in their continued distribution of Media24's publications.
According to Davidson, pleas to stop its distribution fell on deaf ears and they therefore turned to court because they viewed the illegal distribution of their publications as theft.
Davidson is asking the court to order the women to pay the costs of the court case, as well as any financial losses suffered by Media24.
In an earlier report, Media24 said the women shared PDF versions of Huisgenoot in 2022 and between April and July 2023, shared various editions of its publications with members of the "Newspaper and Magazine Group" on WhatsApp, including Beeld, Sarie, Die Burger and Rapport.
According to Oudtshoorn Courant, the women had time till the 18th of January to indicate whether or not they would be defending their case.
The case has been placed on the court roll for the 29th of January.
