Over the years, as content has become more available digitally, there has been an increasing number of individuals who have been accused and sued for downloading movies, music, and other content that is the lawfully copyrighted work. The content owners have run the full spectrum from well-known artists to downright fraudsters.
Over the last seven years, WLG has worked with almost a hundred individuals who have been sued for these types of claims. While we are past the days where a single lawsuit against 30,000 defendants (yes, 30,000) in a single lawsuit, these cases still exist and those accused are entitled to understand their rights and explore options. For years, WLG has proudly offered legal services to those accused of such violations.
Maybe you believed you were receiving the file from someone who owned it, or there was no © mark on what was downloaded, or you cannot confirm any such file was downloaded. While there is no such thing as “good faith” infringement, these factors are important, especially when it comes to damages. Damages can range from $150,000 for willful infringement to $200 for those that are found to have reason to believe they were not committing infringement. Rather than fight the complex copyright troll machine on your own, speak with someone who has experience in these matters.
Three-Point Turn Lesson:
- Potentially being sued in Federal Court is a serious matter and you cannot simply ignore addressing the situation.
- Before you are bullied into paying some large amount to make the problem ‘go away’, you need to understand your rights.
- If necessary, we can explore maintaining your anonymity to resolve these cases on fair terms and let you move forward without a cloud of litigation over your head.
