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Strike 3 Holdings Files 133 new cases in California

Reddit user /u/beardfearer may fear beards, but not copyright noticesStrike 3 Holdings was active over the holiday season, filing 133 new copyright infringement lawsuits in California. This represents approximately 2 lawsuits every day. Although each lawsuit is against a different internet subscriber, the allegations are nearly identical in each case. The Plaintiff alleges an IP address was used to download and share the Plaintiff’s adult films (marketed under the Tushy, Vixen, Blacked, and Blacked Raw brands) through BitTorrent networks.

They then sue each unnamed internet subscriber as a “John Doe”, identified only through an IP address. They then request the courts to grant a subpoena to the subscriber’s internet service provider (ISP) so they can learn the user’s identity. Once identified, they serve the Defendant with a summons that must be answered in court or the Defendant could face a default judgement against them.

Often, a defendant first discovers the lawsuit when they receive a letter from their ISP notifying them of the subpoena and the possibility to file a motion to quash. It is important to begin an effective defense at this stage. Securing representation early can provide you with more options to protect your identity and fight the allegations.

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Malibu Media Files 5 More File Sharing Lawsuits in Virginia

Reddit user /u/beardfearer may fear beards, but not copyright noticesIn just one day, Malibu Media filed another 5 BitTorrent-based lawsuits in Virginia. This has been a record breaking year for the company, as they have filed more than 1,000 copyright infringement lawsuits across the country. Almost 80 of those lawsuits have been in Virginia, averaging more than a lawsuit per week!

Malibu Media claims to hire overseas investigators that monitor BitTorrent activity and record any IP addresses that allegedly download or share the X-art brand adult films. The Plaintiff then sues the IP address as a “John Doe” and requests the court issue a subpoena to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) so the subscriber can be identified and served with the complaint.

Often, a defendant first discovers the lawsuit when they receive a letter from their ISP notifying them of the subpoena and the possibility to file a motion to quash. It is important to begin an effective defense at this stage. Securing representation early can provide you with more options to protect your identity and fight the allegations.

Although each lawsuit is similar, every case represents potentially thousands of dollars in damages per infringement if not properly defended against. These companies invest money into each case and hope to maximize the damages for their financial benefit. These notices are serious. If you do not respond, the ISP is obligated to provide your identity to the Plaintiff, which allows them to serve you with a summons and complaint. Once you are served, you typically have 21 days to respond in Federal court.

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Malibu Media Files 9 More BitTorrent Lawsuits in Maryland

Reddit user /u/beardfearer may fear beards, but not copyright noticesIn just one day, Malibu Media filed another 9 BitTorrent-based lawsuits in Maryland. This has been a record breaking year for the company. In Maryland alone, they have filed almost 100 file-sharing lawsuits. They are a notorious for these cases, filing more than 1,000 lawsuits across the country this year alone.

They claim to hire overseas investigators to monitor BitTorrent activity and record any IP addresses that allegedly download or share their adult films, marketed under the X-Art brand. The Plaintiff then sues the IP address as a “John Doe” and gets a subpoena to force the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to reveal the subscriber associated with that IP address. Once they have an identity, they will name the subscriber and try to serve them with the lawsuit. Importantly, the subscriber may not even be the one to download the films.

Often, a defendant first discovers the lawsuit when they receive a letter from their ISP notifying them of the subpoena and the possibility to file a motion to quash to stop the release of their identity. It is important to begin an effective defense at this stage. Securing representation early can provide you with more options to protect your identity and how to fight the allegations.

Although each lawsuit is similar, every case represents potentially thousands of dollars in damages per infringement if not properly defended against. These companies invest money into each case and hope to maximize the damages for their financial benefit. These notices are serious. If you do not respond, the ISP is obligated to provide your identity to the Plaintiff, which allows them to serve you with a summons and complaint. Once you are served, you typically have 21 days to respond in Federal court.

[Read more…] about Malibu Media Files 9 More BitTorrent Lawsuits in Maryland