Even The Recording Industry Is Criticizing ACS:Law/DigiProtect Pre-Settlement Letter Program
from the hammer-coming-down dept
With more and more attention being paid to the efforts by firms like ACS:Law and DigiProtect to profit from blasting out hundreds of thousands of letters demanding payment to avoid file sharing lawsuits (which almost never seem to actually get filed), it seems that the companies involved in such things may finally be facing some pretty serious criticism that could force them to curb the practice. First up, politicians. A few different UK officials are coming out loudly against ACS:Law, with some even suggesting that the firm’s efforts are like a “scam” or “legal blackmail.”
Meanwhile perhaps the most surprising of all is that BPI, the UK’s version of the RIAA has also come out against the practice, saying that they don’t feel it is appropriate. Perhaps it’s not a huge surprise — given that the clients of ACS:Law/DigiProtect have tended to be video game and porn producers rather than the recording industry. However, when even the recording industry finds your actions against file sharing too draconian, it suggests you’ve really stepped over the line. At some point, you get the feeling that ACS:Law is going to get slapped down legally.
Filed Under: extortion, pre-settlement
Companies: acs:law, bpi, digiprotect
Comments on “Even The Recording Industry Is Criticizing ACS:Law/DigiProtect Pre-Settlement Letter Program”
Slapped down
Let’s hope it’s sooner than later, and someone finally stands up to them, saying that if you distributed it to those users, then it’s legal.
Taste of own medicine?
I’d be interested to know if some politicians and/or BPI personal recently received a letter from ACS:Law or DigiProtect.
Pot Meet Kettle ...
In the future when the public revolts against three strikes … BPI will tell the ISP’s to stop kicking people offline … enter ACS:Law on the side of the nudie flick and video game producers, insisting that people be kicked offline only to have BPI come to the lowley users rescue …. kinda funny
history …. doomed to repeat … nuff said
Huh? Do I have this right?
So ACS is working without the blessing of the copyright holders? Is it “pay up or we’ll try to convince the BPI to sue you?”
Re: Huh? Do I have this right?
So ACS is working without the blessing of the copyright holders? Is it “pay up or we’ll try to convince the BPI to sue you?”
No, BPI has not signed up with ACS. ACS mostly represents video game makers and porn producers. As far as I know, they have no deals in the music industry so they’re not sending out letters for the labels.
Slam that hammer