TorrentFreak

• Ben Jones
• March 7, 2013
• 21
• john steele,
  prenda
• Print

Prenda, the lawfirm-that-isn’t (or is, they’re not quite sure), may be in for a massive battle for their freedom next week. But their legal careers aren’t the only things taking a battering this past week, it’s their website as well.

Websites can be the bane of many, and they’ve not always been the friend of copyright trolls. ACS:Law was ripped apart after an attack on its website left it with a partial email archive, including admissions that their evidence was useless, and that they targeted people on their ability to pay.

Now it’s the site of Prenda / Steele-Hassemeier / Alpha Law Firm / Anti-Piracy Law Group (if you’re confused by that, this chart might come in handy)  that’s been under attack. While the Steele/Duffy/Gibbs roadshow has been eager to follow Crossleys example of speculative invoicing, they’ve put off the site-attack, or had, until now.

Fightcpyright trolls reported that on Tuesday, the site of the under-bridge-dwelling litigators included a nice little bonus – a redirect to the Pirate Bay (wherever in the world it was being hosted)

The Javascript-based redirect wasn’t the only goody to hit the site, as visitors to the stock-image-dominated site are inundated with popups for Godaddy’s previewDNS service.

This has led some to speculate that the attack was an inside job, set to garner sympathy or allow blame to be placed and attacks to be made. After all, such a move isn’t exactly unprecedented from these lawyers.

Extreme gamblers might see it as indications that some semblance of humanity remains yet to be transformed into a troll, and is trapped in the company screaming for help. The Lottery is a better bet, though.

Of course, it could be an outside group, acting maliciously, but where is the motivation?

After all, what has this law firm ever done to anyone besides using a web of shell corporations to try and extort thousands of dollars from tens of thousands of people – some they’ve admitted are innocent – by abusing the legal system through sham litigation in an attempt to encourage out-of-court settlements or default judgement through extreme pornography and exaggerated threats, all the while bilking the court system of tens of thousands in filing fees through improper joinder? And when someone stands up to the bullies, they dismiss the case leaving the accused massively out-of-pocket. Can’t see what problem anyone would have with that. I mean, it’s not like they shared a film or anything serious like that.

Regardless, if Steele and Co are following the Crossley plan, then soon after the website attack comes disgrace, and punishment. We’ll see next week.

Prenda, the lawfirm-that-isn’t (or is, they’re not quite sure), may be in for a massive battle for their freedom next week. But their legal careers aren’t the only things taking...