Porn Company Drops Lawsuit Against 670 File-Swappers

Dallas – An adult video production company has dropped its
lawsuit against 670 alleged downloaders of its films.

Mick Haig Productions
filed the suit in September 2010 in federal court in Texas, alleging the 670
had downloaded the film "Der Gute Onkel."

Digital civil liberties
groups the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Citizen took the defendants’
case, and asked the court to disallow subpoenas seeking the identities of the
670 accused from their Internet service providers — arguing many were filed in
the wrong jurisdiction, and failed to meet constitutional standards for
obtaining identifying information.

"When adult film companies launch these
cases, there is the added pressure of embarrassment associated with
pornography, which can convince those ensnared in the suits to quickly pay
what’s demanded of them, whether or not they have legitimate defenses. That’s
why it’s so important to make sure the process is fair," said EFF’s
Corynne McSherry.

"Rather than choosing competent local counsel
experienced in intellectual property law, the Court appointed a trio of
attorneys renowned for defending internet piracy and renowned for their general
disregard for intellectual property law," Mick Haig Productions said in
its notice of dismissal.

"Now, four months after the initial filing of
this case, with little chance of discovery in sight, Plaintiff feels it has
lost any meaningful opportunity to pursue justice in this matter."

The
case against the defendants was dismissed "with prejudice," meaning
the company cannot re-file copyright claims against them at a later time.

Related Links:
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2011/01/31

http://tinyurl.com/4v7vrzz
(TorrentFreak)