Whoa! If people are starting to get sued for this then watch out world!
It’s a common tactic for pornography producers trying to protect their product from online piracy: They sue unknown “John Does” who illegally download movies, then go to Internet providers to learn their true identities and collect.
Hundreds of porn companies have filed thousands of lawsuits across the country in recent years. Often, representatives will call up the defendants, offering quick settlements of $1,000 or $5,000 to avoid facing $150,000 claims and the embarrassment of being publicly outed.
Some defendants in the lawsuits are pushing back, arguing that they’re being squeezed for quick settlements even when they claim to have never downloaded anything.
A Kentucky woman, Jennifer Barker, is suing the five companies that targeted her and is seeking class-action status to hold the companies accountable for harassing calls for settlements.
The five companies, out of California and London, have filed more than 500 lawsuits in 17 states against John and Jane Does in recent years.
Barker’s attorney, Ken Henry of Louisville, who filed the lawsuit, estimated 500,000 people have been sued or gotten calls from representatives of the companies since 2007.
“Nobody wants their name associated with downloading porn … ” Henry said, giving the example of a typically graphic movie title.
Read more here at the Huffington Post
