TorrentFreak

While the dozens of mass-lawsuits against BitTorrent users move through the U.S. courts, there’s been very interesting development in one of Digiprotect cases. Like many others, ‘copyright troll’ Digiprotect include many defendants in their lawsuits that don’t live in the jurisdiction the cases are filed. The courts are not all happy with this, and many [...]

Another blow has been delivered to the mass BitTorrent lawsuits that were introduced in the United States last year. The German-based copyright profiteers DigiProtect sued hundreds of alleged BitTorrent users a month ago, but now more than half of the cases have been orally dismissed.

Today, anti-piracy group DigiProtect are again quoted by the BBC as having no regrets about their controversial campaign file-sharing hunt in the UK. Nevertheless, their actions don’t come without cost. Their lawyers, ACS:Law, have had more than 280 official complaints filed against them with the UK legal regulatory body, dwarfing all comers in the IP sector.

DigiProtect has shot itself and its business model in the foot during a recent court hearing. The notorious anti-piracy outfit refused to open its books for scrutiny during a case where it claimed compensation against a file-sharer. The judge consequently ruled that the defendant didn’t have to pay the majority of the claim against him.

Members of the House of Lords recently voiced concerns over the UK government’s Digital Economy Bill, stating that the problems facing the entertainment industry are largely of their own creation. There was also criticism of companies who demand cash from file-sharers in the UK, and ideas were put forward to end their scheme.

DigiProtect, the anti-piracy company that makes money from threatening alleged file-sharers with court unless they pay up a ‘fine’, has a worrying new tactic. Hoping to scare letter recipients even more than they already do, the company is now sending more threats via a debt collection agency.

As many as 25,000 BT and 5,000 customers of other ISPs will be receiving shock letters demanding big payments during the coming weeks. Lawyers in the UK have been granted more court orders which force ISPs to hand over the details of individuals who they say have been monitored sharing hardcore pornography.