Copyrights troll ?

[noname216]

Hi all,
I received an email from my ISP ( my university) for something I downloaded. The send me a case on https://www.copyrightsettlements.com/ and wanting 250$ for it. What should I do ? I'm an international student, so I'm broke honestly. Help

 

[Silverplum]

Hi all,
I received an email from my ISP ( my university) for something I downloaded. The send me a case on https://www.copyrightsettlements.com/ and wanting 250$ for it. What should I do ? I'm an international student, so I'm broke honestly. Help

Don't do the crime if you can't afford the fine.

 

[justalayman]

Hi all,
I received an email from my ISP ( my university) for something I downloaded. The send me a case on https://www.copyrightsettlements.com/ and wanting 250$ for it. What should I do ? I'm an international student, so I'm broke honestly. Help

How is the owner of a copyright on some work a troll for enforcing their rights? Especially given it is a university making the demand, I suggest "troll" is an improper assessment of their activities.

 

[quincy]

Hi all,
I received an email from my ISP ( my university) for something I downloaded. The send me a case on https://www.copyrightsettlements.com/ and wanting 250$ for it. What should I do ? I'm an international student, so I'm broke honestly. Help

What state are you located in, noname216, or, if not in the U.S., in what country are you located?

It doesn't matter if you are an international student or if you are broke. When you infringe on someone's copyright, the copyright holder can demand compensation for your illegal use or sue you for infringement. Copyright infringement can be costly which is why the smart person does not infringe.

That said, whether there is a legitimate case against you or not is something you should discuss with an attorney in your area. Not all notices of infringement will come from someone with standing to sue, and there are defenses to infringement that are worth exploring. You have options to consider and these options are best gone over with the attorney.

I would not, at any rate, pay the $250 to anyone without having an attorney review the notice you received first.

It is important to note that, when you are caught infringing on copyrighted works, your university can restrict your internet access and your ISP can terminate your service (at their discretion).

 

[justalayman]

where't the smiley wallbanger emoticon? Gee, where's the coffee. I apparently need a cup or 12.



what the OP got was not a demand from their ISP (the school) but the pass through demand the claimed copyright owner issued to an IP address.



if that is the case, most definitely pay close attention to what quincy said. It may be an opportunist that has no valid standing to make the demand.


although I didn't hear the OP arguing that he didn't illegally download something though.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Please note it could be grounds for academic punishment if you attempt to ignore the issue.

 

[noname216]

What state are you located in, noname216, or, if not in the U.S., in what country are you located?

It doesn't matter if you are an international student or if you are broke. When you infringe on someone's copyright, the copyright holder can demand compensation for your illegal use or sue you for infringement. Copyright infringement can be costly which is why the smart person does not infringe.

That said, whether there is a legitimate case against you or not is something you should discuss with an attorney in your area. Not all notices of infringement will come from someone with standing to sue, and there are defenses to infringement that are worth exploring. You have options to consider and these options are best gone over with the attorney.

I would not, at any rate, pay the $250 to anyone without having an attorney review the notice you received first.

It is important to note that, when you are caught infringing on copyrighted works, your university can restrict your internet access and your ISP can terminate your service (at their discretion).

I'm in Nebraska right now

 

[quincy]

I'm in Nebraska right now

If you are any where near Lincoln, you can contact the University of Nebraska College of Law for a review of the notice, or you can check your own university's student legal services for assistance, or you can contact a local legal aid clinic or an attorney in your area.

Is the infringement notice alleging that you illegally downloaded music or movies? Is this the first email you have received from your ISP/university about infringement?

Again, I would not pay the $250 until an attorney has had the chance to look at it and review the facts. While it is entirely possible you will wind up having to pay for an illegal download - to avoid problems with your university/ISP over your internet service and to avoid a lawsuit filed against you by a legitimate copyright holder - it is also possible that the notice was sent by a firm already under investigation for issues involving their "questionable" notice and collection practices.

Good luck.

 

[noname216]

If you are any where near Lincoln, you can contact the University of Nebraska College of Law for a review of the notice, or you can check your own university's student legal services for assistance, or you can contact a local legal aid clinic or an attorney in your area.

Is the infringement notice alleging that you illegally downloaded music or movies? Is this the first email you have received from your ISP/university about infringement?

Again, I would not pay the $250 until an attorney has had the chance to look at it and review the facts. While it is entirely possible you will wind up having to pay for an illegal download - to avoid problems with your university/ISP over your internet service and to avoid a lawsuit filed against you by a legitimate copyright holder - it is also possible that the notice was sent by a firm already under investigation for issues involving their "questionable" notice and collection practices.

Good luck.

Thank you for your response. The company is CEG TEK International. It is the first time I get the email. Can I have an attorney negotiate and pay the money for me so that I remain anonymous ?

 

[Silverplum]

Thank you for your response. The company is CEG TEK International. It is the first time I get the email. Can I have an attorney negotiate and pay the money for me so that I remain anonymous ?

They already know.

 

[justalayman]

They already know.

they already know what? An ISP is not required to divulge the identity of the person behind an IP address without a courts order. Some of them outright refuse without a courts order. If the notice was delivered based on an IP address only, the sender may have no idea who the party actually is.



noname: I would suggest searching the internet using the name of the entity that sent you that notice. There is a lot of discussion about them. It may help you determine your response to the letter.

 

[quincy]

Thank you for your response. The company is CEG TEK International. It is the first time I get the email. Can I have an attorney negotiate and pay the money for me so that I remain anonymous ?

If the notice was sent to your university and forwarded to you, and not sent to you directly by CEG TEK, then CEG TEK International does not know who you are. They know your internet address and it is your university that knows who you are.

Yes, you can remain anonymous by paying the settlement amount through an attorney. The attorney can negotiate the amount demanded if you decide, upon attorney's review and advice, that you are best off paying to settle. You will want the attorney to check into CEG TEK and their claims of infringement prior to paying, however.

In the event an infringement case is taken to court, the minimum amount a court will award the holder of a registered copyrighted work would be $200, this at the judge's discretion. Therefore, I would not expect the copyright holder to settle for an amount below that figure (although it is possible). If the copyright holder takes an infringer to court, the amount of damages awarded is generally far greater than this $200 (statutory damages are between $750 to $30,000 per infringed work).

But, again, have the attorney you see review the notice, the company who sent the notice, and the facts of the infringement, and go from there.

Good luck.