Team Prenda Loses In Default Judgment; Ruling Clearly Names Steele, Duffy And Hansmseier As Prenda Law
from the and-another-arrow-comes-in dept
Team Prenda is taking hits from pretty much every direction these days. The latest is that, in yet another AF Holdings case, this time in Massachusetts, Prenda had been told to put up a bond of $60,000, which it appears to have ignored. The court has now signed off on a default judgment ruling. Basically this just adds to the pile of money that Team Prenda owes. But a key point here is in the footnote:
As noted in the supporting memorandum, AF Holdings has been found to be an alias of Prenda Law, Inc. and its principals — John Steele, Paul Duffy and Paul Hansmeier.
Steele and Hansmeier keep trying to claim they have absolutely nothing to do with Prenda, and Steele argues that he’s got nothing to do with AF Holdings. Having more courts officially note that AF Holding is really Prenda, and Prenda really is Steele, Duffy and Hansmeier, is going to make their argument more and more difficult going forward.
Of course, as if on cue, in a different case, Paul Duffy is now arguing strenuously that it’s unfair to lump Prenda Law in with Steele and Hansmeier or to connect it with AF Holdings. Of course, sooner or later, Duffy is going to realize that if he keeps making this argument, he’s actually hanging himself out to dry, almost certainly leading up to Steele and Hansmeier quickly tossing Duffy under the bus when the opportunity permits (one assumes soon after they’re done doing the same to Mark Lutz).
Filed Under: default judgment, john steele, mark lutz, paul duffy, paul hansmeier
Companies: af holdings, prenda, prenda law
Comments on “Team Prenda Loses In Default Judgment; Ruling Clearly Names Steele, Duffy And Hansmseier As Prenda Law”
And so the glorious legacy of copyright and copyright enforcement marches on.
a/c s
The anonymous cowards just hate it when copyright enforcement goes pear shaped!
Re: a/c s
You give them far too much credit, Prenda and co’s actions were to ‘copyright enforcement’ what ‘hey, nice shop you’ve got here, be a shame if something were to happen to it…’ is to a standard business deal.
Re: Re: a/c s
Not really. Prenda’s operating procedures were largely built upon the success of the RIAA’s intimidation-based settlement system, and how you can threaten anyone into paying up thousands of dollars to avoid a lawsuit war of attrition. Pornography merely helped to accelerate the moneymaking due to the greater unwanted association.
Thanks to these trials being brought to light a lot of copyright enforcement’s models and schemes, like their 30% error rate that largely went unquestioned by judges. Prenda’s usage of the RIAA business model is unravelling in no small part thanks to their attempt to game the system by being producer and lawyer both at once, which is thankfully revealing more problems in the system.
Copyright enforcement will be going pearshaped and now Prenda is on the books as precedent in case anyone decides to be recklessly sue-happy.
Re: Re: Re: a/c s
That really is no difference.
Pow right in the kisser.
Prenda punch bags for sale! The best stress-relieving devices you’ll ever have!
Re: Re:
Got a Prenda douchebag instead, or are those all sold out?
Re: Re: Re:
Would anyone want to douche with one of them/those?
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Well, if you need a massive douche…
re: a/c s
That One Guy,
Now, you give Prenda too much credit. Their business model is really, ‘nice reputation you have there. It would be a shame if you lost it because of basically baseless porn downloading allegations.’ They have taken the protection racket to make it even more sleazy.
Regards,
mc
Don't forget the IRS and state bars investigating
The IRS and state bars investigating members of Team Prenda may find useful the rulings that connect the individuals to the empty shells that do their evil copyright bidding.
Re: Don't forget the IRS and state bars investigating
Is the outcome of the IRS investigation public? Shari Duffy was complaining on her facebook about just now paying up on taxes, wondering if that was part of this investigation or if there was more fun to come.
Flight risk?
So, has anyone started a betting pool on when these guys flee the country?
Re: Flight risk?
Well supposedly the Duffy’s are heading to Puerto Rico for an extended Christmas Vacation so who knows.
Re: Flight risk?/Betting Pool
I’m genuinely surprised that they haven’t do so already.
Re: Re: Flight risk?/Betting Pool
I promise you that Steele will most likely leave the country. I saw him a few times in court back in Illinois and I always was shocked by the fact that he would waltz into the courtroom in a 3 piece 10000 suit! He was unethical, slimy and reminded me of a used car salesman or a wannabe mobster. The family court judges usually laughed in his face because his arguments were never grounded on anything remotely to do with Illinois state law and clearly weren’t in the best interests of the child. The only reason I remembered him was because of his off the wall arguments and those flashy Gucci suits. I’m sure he’s put most of his money off shore and is planning an extended vacation in Mexico or some other country without an extradition treaty. I really wonder if they didn’t knock off lutz? I cannot believe how many twists and turns are in this whole saga. Never seem lawyers this corrupt without being tossed in jail for contempt of court or disbarred???
Prenda Flight Betting Pool
Jim, I’m confident that they will flee within 48 hours after Lutz conveniently, permanently disappears. They have worked so very hard to portray him as the only one that has key information, and, given Steele’s completely narcissistic and amoral character, I don’t think he’ll take a chance of the courts finding out either what Lutz does or does not know.
Re: Prenda Flight Betting Pool
And then there were none
“Duffy is going to realize that if he keeps making this argument, he’s actually hanging himself out to dry, almost certainly leading up to Steele and Hansmeier quickly tossing Duffy under the bus when the opportunity permits (one assumes soon after they’re done doing the same to Mark Lutz).”
Before that there were Alan Cooper and Bret Gibbs. This is starting look like an absurd version of Agatha Cristie’s “Ten Little Indians”.
What is more money when no one is making you pay?
Seriously, the bill can hit 42 quadrillion dollars and it won’t matter.
1 – The next step is them missing the date to pay up, the people owed money incur more costs to file more papers pointing out they haven’t paid and asking for more money.
2 – Pretenda files a pointless answer 3 days after the due date for the reply, Judge rules adds more cash.
3 – Goto Step 1.
All of the income an assets were allegedly tracked on a single spreadsheet. Giving them months to find legal ways to hollow the shells out more, so that no one gets anything.
Get caught with some pot in your car, they can and will take the damn car.
Get caught defrauding the court system, here have another 2 years to hide that money so we can’t find it.
I just can't get this tune out of my head...
The wheels on the bus go round and round.