Copyright Enforcement Group, LLC - Legit?

[alex2010]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

I got an e-mail from Copyright Enforcement Gourp that was forwarded from the school I go to saying I owe $125 for downloading a copyrighted video. It is some porn movie and I did download it and about 2 days later I deleted the files and the porgram I used to download it (Frostwire) becuase, and here's the kicker, I didn't want to get cautch for copyright enfrindgement. I e-mailed them back asking what was going on (stupid thing to do I know, but I was freaking out because they said they would sue me if I didn't pay the money).

This is the e-mail I sent:

I don't know exactly what's going on. As far as I know, everything that was downloaded was deleted a while ago after discovering it was pirated
including the files and program. I didn't know that everything was
downloaded because other people have used my laptop as well. As far as I
know, everything is gone that should be and I never made any copies of
anything or tried to sell anything, so do I still need to worry about the
company taking legal action?

The reply was:

Please provide your case number(s) and we will be happy to help you.

That alone makes me wonder why they don't already have that, but I send it anyway and they e-mail me back:

You have three cases open with us that require action. Please log in to the website with case number xxxxxxx and password xxxxx to settle. These cases will continue to escalate until a settlement is received.

If it was just one ($125) I'd say screw it and send them the money just to get it over with, but since I owe $375 (3x$125), I want to be sure it isn't a scam (as some have said).

At this point, they must know who I am, or at the very least, they must be able to find out who I am farely easily, so I don't think I can just ignore it as others have done incase it is real

 

[blue_monarch]

Copyright Enforcement Group, LLC settlement

Hi!

What did you do? Did you pay for it or did you ignore it?

I received multiple emails from my ISP (charter unfortunately) forwarding the message they received from Copyright Enforcement Group, LLC. Dale Spislander wants $200 per file ($1600).

I am very skeptical about the company and their practices. OK. I downloaded copyrighted stuff but I am not threatening anyone

How do they get a hold of my IP address unless someone in their company is sharing the same files online. They share these files online and wait for someone to bite the bait. Isn't this considered as entrapment?

Also once I pay the settlement, and reveal my identity, what would prevent their copyright mafia friends from coming back for more money or blackmailing me?

Please let me know what you decided to do if you paid or not? and in case you paid, let us know if they stopped harassing you or not?

Thank you,

Blue

 

[TheGeekess]

Hi!

What did you do? Did you pay for it or did you ignore it?

<snip, snap, snup>

Blue

Dude, this post is over a year old. OP has NOT been back since.

If you have a question, please start your own thread. Otherwise, please don't necropost.

 

[justalayman]

I know I'm posting to a necroposters post but I can't resisit.


bkue_monarch posted

ok I downloaded copyrighted stuff but I am not threatening anyone

I wonder, if I steal money without threatening anybody, does that mean it's ok? How about if I steal a car that is setting empty? Of course I wouldn't threaten anybody.

Man, if I knew all it took to make everything legal was just not threaten anybody, I would be rich by now.

 

[alex2010]

ignore them

sorry to everyone who tried to contact me. i just got an e-mail about a reply to the post.

i paid them and i haven't had any issues since. i found some info online about the company using a fake office in California years ago. i found where they said they were located and they are (as far as i can tell) a "legit" business. i e-mailed the company that was listed at the address. the copy right place rents an office space in cali, so at least they've upgraded from using a fake office space. i still think it's complete bs the way they got my info and basically harassed me by sending threatening e-mails about an impending lawsuit.

I did a very stupid thing which was e-mail them back about it. DO NOT REPLY TO THEM. don't go to their website either to look at your account. i know nothing about the law, but i know sending a lawsuit by e-mail means nothing. there is no way they could have known that i even got the e-mail if i hadn't replied to it or opened the link they sent me. I would suggest just deleting the e-mail and forgetting about it. from what i've read (a long time ago when this happened) some others have done that and haven't had issues. i wish i had done some research before opening the link they sent me in the e-mail. as far as i know, unless someone physically hands you documents about a lawsuit, there is nothing they can even try to sue you for.

if you haven't contacted them or opened the link to your account, ignore them.

if you did either of those... i don't know. if you can afford it (it wasn't too much for me compared to >$1,000 for some people) pay them just so they don't come back in 20 years and shove it in your face. if it is a lot, i would call a lawyer and try to get some free advice (which is exactly what i should have done).

 

[mn9130]

alex2010, if you get this message please respond. Has anything else happened regarding this matter?

 

[alex2010]

alex2010, if you get this message please respond. Has anything else happened regarding this matter?

Nothing has happened since then.

 

[quincy]

mn9130, the copyright infringement suit "climate" has changed since alex2010 was found infringing on copyrighted films in 2011 - although the results are apt to be the same now as then. If you pay the settlement demand and do not infringe again, it is likely you will not hear from the copyright holder again.

Today, there are less of the "mass John Doe defendant" lawsuits which proliferated in years past. The reasons there are less mass-defendant suits are many, but litigation against the companies filing the lawsuits is a major one. The companies have not fared well in court.

What an infringer is apt to see today is a settlement demand notice followed by a lawsuit filed against the single infringer. Courts are looking more favorably on these suits than they did on the mass defendant suits although, as with any lawsuit, facts matter. The company filing the majority of these single "Doe" suits appears to be Malibu Media LLC.

Another difference between today's suits and those common in 2011 is the amount being demanded to settle the infringement. A $10,000 settlement figure is not uncommon.

With all of that said, it is important for anyone accused of illegally downloading a film (or, what is also more common today, a television series) to consult with an IP attorney in their area for a review of the facts, this whether they know they are guilty of the illegal download or not.

Although the Does targeted in these suits are connected to the illegal downloads in the same manner as always (through their IP addresses), it is possible that the company bringing the suit does not have standing to sue, or there could be another good reason for the dismissal of the suit.

I do not recommend anyone pay what is demanded until they can consult with an attorney for a personal review.