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Despite public anger, a political backlash and legal investigations, more law firms in the UK are set to take up the lucrative practice of suing file sharer and asking for "pre-trial settlements".
The firm, Gallant Macmillan, has now started asking file sharers £375 for settling any potential lawsuits from copyright holders, in this case those that hold copyright on a Ministry of Sound compilation, valued at £8.75. The extra claim is needed to cover legal and investigative costs, claims Gallant Macmillan.
But unlike ACS:Law and some other law firms, Gallant Macmillan will be directly representing copyright holders that have intent to sue - the other firms often represent middle-men who then represent the copyright holders, and the intention and direction to sue is not always clear cut.
The other interesting aspect is that £375 includes the cost of "purchasing" the album in question, so once file sharers pay up, they are free to keep their illegally downloaded songs, which have now been "converted" to legal purchases. An expensive legal purchase, unfortunately.
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The firm, Gallant Macmillan, has now started asking file sharers £375 for settling any potential lawsuits from copyright holders, in this case those that hold copyright on a Ministry of Sound compilation, valued at £8.75. The extra claim is needed to cover legal and investigative costs, claims Gallant Macmillan.
But unlike ACS:Law and some other law firms, Gallant Macmillan will be directly representing copyright holders that have intent to sue - the other firms often represent middle-men who then represent the copyright holders, and the intention and direction to sue is not always clear cut.
The other interesting aspect is that £375 includes the cost of "purchasing" the album in question, so once file sharers pay up, they are free to keep their illegally downloaded songs, which have now been "converted" to legal purchases. An expensive legal purchase, unfortunately.
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