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UK Law Body Targets RIAA-Style Settlement Letters

Posted by samzenpus on from the you-are-probably-guilty dept.

PerformanceDude writes "The Register reports that a major UK law firm knew it sometimes had no reliable evidence of unlawful filesharing when it demanded hundreds of pounds in damages from internet users, according to the solicitors' watchdog. London-based Davenport Lyons threatened thousands of people with legal action for alleged copyright infringement between 2006 and 2009. They were told that by quickly paying around £500 damages, plus costs, they could avoid court. Following complaints to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Davenport Lyons now stands accused of deliberately ignoring concerns over the standard of its evidence."

3 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. excellent by mirix · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now if firms responsible will actually be punished for false claims, we might be going somewhere.

    --
    Sent from my PDP-11
  2. Excellent advice by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Insightful

    (UK Law) (Body Targets) (RIAA Style Settlement Letters)

    Double tap to the body, then the kill shot to the head.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  3. Expensive legal defense by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As long as an effective defense is more expensive than out of court settlement, this type of harassment will exist. Even though Davenport Lyons may have known that some of the recipients of the letter were not guilty of anything, it would have been time consuming to figure out which ones they were. And with the state of the courts these days, it was more effective to take a wide view and hit everyone they could.

    Until the government provides basic defense in all cases, this type of thing will continue.