Copyright Troll Submits Entire Filing About How 'Radical, Quasi-Anarchist' EFF Should Be Blocked From Participating In Case
from the that's-not-going-to-go-over-well dept
While not everyone agrees with the EFF’s position on various issues, the group is still pretty widely respected in legal circles. So it seems a bit odd that a copyright troll has apparently decided to spend an entire filing trying to block the EFF from filing an amicus brief (“friend of the court” brief) in one of its cases, attacking the EFF directly as some sort of “radical” and “quasi-anarchist” group. The lawsuit involves Prenda Law, who took over the cases formerly brought by divorce lawyer-turned-copyright troll John Steele. I hadn’t been following it closely, but sometime last year, Steele apparently handed his practice off to Prenda — though there have been some questions over whether or not Steele is still involved and to the legality of the transfers.
Either way, Prenda clearly does not like the EFF and basically spends the entire filing insulting the organization based on next to nothing. A few examples:
- The EFF is opposed to any effective enforcement and litigation of intellectual property law, which seeks a platform by which to advance its agenda.
- The EFF is an anti-intellectual property group, which appears in the present action merely in order to obstruct or delay Plaintiff’s copyright infringement litigation.
- The EFF’s crusade continues, despite their lack of success, not out of any concern for proper application of the law.
- The EFF Is a Radical Special-Interest Group Generally Opposed to Any Effective Or Efficient Enforcement of Intellectual Property Law
- This mission is radical, quasi-anarchist, and intrinsically opposed to any effective enforcement of intellectual property rights.
- their history of advocating lawlessness on the Internet suggests that their purpose is not to help this Court administer justice, but to hinder and obstruct the process
It also focuses on the fact that the EFF failed in one of its attempts to question whether or not joining together so many defendants was proper — in a case presided over by a judge who had only recently joined the bench, after a stint as an RIAA lobbyist. It ignores that the EFF has won its argument that joinder is improper many more times than it has lost. Hopefully the court sees through this.
Filed Under: copyright, copyright trolling, john steele, lawsuits
Companies: eff, prenda
Comments on “Copyright Troll Submits Entire Filing About How 'Radical, Quasi-Anarchist' EFF Should Be Blocked From Participating In Case”
You can replace all of those complaints in an anti-MPAA/RIAA statement! Just gotta switch a few words around here and there, and bingo.
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1 second apart, nice
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Great minds think alike XD. Unfortunately, stupid ones seem to also!
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as do average ones, a strange truth, it is
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“Average” is superior to “stupid”.
Even you should know that, boy.
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
Unless the majority is stupid. In which case average is stupid also.
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
Suja’s statement doesn’t say anything about average not being superior to stupid (though one might claim that stupid is the average…) so what’s your point?
Re: Re: Re:4 Re:
Guessing, he’s average and felt the need to flaunt his averageness.
What makes an AC become average? Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of averageness, AC?
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it’s the good old political way, coming back around.
I hope politicians are happy to have used this technique so often that basically everyone uses it for mudslinging now.
Yet another example of “when you do something stupid, and do it publicly, other people are going to copy it”. On a bigger scale, I really hope politicians become more aware of idiocy like this, instead of “let’s overreact again and let other people use it to their advantage”.
zZzZz
guess it will depend on who is the judge this time
I just saw this video making a long board by 901martha on Jun 25, 2011, I almost cried, why can’t every kid start designing and making their own stuff?
Anyways, I wonder if a boy that designed and manufactured his own long board could get in trouble for “stealing” drawings from someone else, when I saw the drawings on the board, alarm bells started ringing in my head, is that drawing original? was inspired by something else? would anybody sue children trying to stop them from using those in their toys?
Also I saw the iModela 3D Printer which is a mini CNC router that can carve objects. In the table I was seeing a lot of adorable characters produced by it.
Would this people have the balls to sue people for producing illegal physical objects?
We are living in interesting times.
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I was interested in seeing that video since I longboard. I was too late:
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and dont we all feel a bit safer and more secure knowing this incredibly dangerous person has been stopped!?
/s
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The long board video is gone! Taken down for copyright infringement. So that answers that question. Yes they would.
“The EFF Is a Radical Special-Interest Group Generally Opposed to Any Effective Or Efficient Enforcement of Intellectual Property Law”
Did I miss a new acronym announcement? All those capitalized letter scream out “Acronym”, but RSIGGOAEEEIPL doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue….
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Damn, you beat me to it!
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I also read that and tried in vain to interpret the secret acronym…
Oh about the EFF if they said that imagine what they would think about what the EFF is about to do and that is sue on behalf of Megaupload users that got their digital life taken from them by ICE.
Re: Two words ....
Prior restraint.
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Commas are your friends.
So, plaintiff(s) in this case wish the court to only consider their opinions and to ignore input from those who disagree.
Do they believe in Santa Claus?
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Actually, a good amount of money at the right pocket and Santa Claus is real, my friend. Along with whatever fairy tale you may think and freedom of speech/constitution violations/biased judgements/etc.
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Actually, a good amount of money at the right pocket and Santa Claus is real, my friend.
Daniel Jackson: “We have seen that a lot of legends and folklore have a-a strong basis in fact. Avalon, Atlantis…”
Teal’c: “The Easter Bunny.”
You know you are doing it right when ppl resort to baseless attacks against you. Good job EFF!
I’d mention Mike and the TD shills but it’s far too obvious by now 😉
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“You know you are doing it right when ppl resort to baseless attacks against you. Good job EFF!
I’d mention Mike and the TD shills but it’s far too obvious by now ;)”
I’d mention Ninja and the MPAA/RIAA shills but it’s far too obvious by now 😉
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He said ‘baseless’ 😉
Radical Special Interest Groups and Rogue Web Sites
EFF == Radical Special Interest Group
Google, YouTube == Rogue Web Site
Yeah, that makes sense.
Re: Radical Special Interest Groups and Rogue Web Sites
MAFIAA/copyright supporter logic:
if it’s not supporting our interests, it’s the devil
You also missed another good one Mike,
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/p2p-porn-lawyer-charged-with-felony.ars
Another copyright troll lawyer was hit with felony charges the other day, for not doing his work related to his previous family law practices and for forging a judge’s signature(!).
Duffy is known for filing and dumping cases when they get assigned to Judges who don’t roll over and give him what he wants. He then refiles and hopes for a better assignment. Someone might think that is forum shopping, but no ones said boo about it.
Pretenda (nope thats how I read it cope) is working in Florida so they can take advantage of the state law for a Writ of Pure Discovery. This allows them to ignore the rules about joinder and other things that are settled in the trolling cases. They often pile multiple works into 1 cheap $350 filing, where in the Federal Courts each one needs to be filed for each film.
SJD seems pretty sure that Steele is still connected to Pretenda, but they are currently getting their teeth kicked in.
A case was filed against Hard Drive for their shakedown, and asks the court among other things to rule that porn does not further the arts and can not be copyrighted.
http://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/2012/01/31/defendant-strikes-back-sues-hard-drive-productions-and-steeles-extortion-outfit/
I hope SJD has time to stop by and shed more light on this. Steele isn’t one of my main targets so I’m not as up to date as I could be.
Thanks TAC, and thanks Mike for spreading the word (and linking).
As it always happens, I have very urgent errands that will keep me afk for the most of the day 🙁 And I got to go now.
In short: yes, I do believe that Steele is still active and is actually behind all the Prenda operations, including this brief, he always was, but since he has been caught replying for Duffy, he is more cautious.
Actually it would be fun to out Steele with some more solid proof (and some of my readers claim that Steele is not in Florida, but never left Chicago), and I’m sure that we can do it soon.
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Hey SJD, have you seen this? An article about Steele’s Prenda “sale” that claims it may violate Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct regulating sales of law firms:
http://current.com/entertainment/movies/93610130_copyright-troll-john-steele-moves-into-prendas-suite-despite-retiring-wanted-to-ask-him-about-it-but-prenda-intentionally-broke-its-own-contact-form-wtf-these-are-ip-lawyers.htm
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Yes, sure, I communicate with the author of this article regularly. He is quite an expert on Steele… I’m sure he would prefer to be called an expert on some positive topic instead 🙂
The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
Why it was just a month or so ago when your gift to the EFF would be triple matched by Blake Krikorian and by the Brin Wojcicki Foundation.
http://boingboing.net/2011/12/10/give-to-eff-today-and-your-do.html
It should be no surprise that they’re big friends of whatever Big Search wants. Two days ago they applauded — their word– Google’s newly found clarity. In other words, the EFF doesn’t care when Big Search stomps all over your privacy as long as they’re clear enough in your disclosure.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/what-actually-changed-google%27s-privacy-policy
Is this a proper way for a “charity” to be spending it’s money? They’re essentially a lobbying organization that goes after anyone who might threaten Big Search’s business model.
So go ahead. Rail against the Big Media companies. They’re pikers compared to the billionaires at Big Search, Big Hardware and Big Piracy.
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
So you think Hard Drive Productions is Big Media…
What have I told you about smoking up before you post here.
0/10 – Its not a paywall, its not Big Media, and your a moron.
Read the article and at least try to be relevant.
Re: Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
But it’s called Hard Drive productions. Nearly every personal computer on the market has a hard drive! With that kind of market penetration, how are they not Big Media?
Re: Re: Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
There is a 3 1/2 inch floppy joke in their somewhere, I just can’t think of it.
Re: Re: Re:2 The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
They’re Small Media?
No! Let’s be kind and say Flaccid Media?
Re: Re: Re:2 The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
That’s why a solid state is better.
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
Maybe this…
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
why do i get the feeling your full name is probably “Billy Bob”?
Re: Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
no no his name is Paywall Bob.
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
Okay, they’re slipping the money through tax loopholes for charity, but they’re still doing good, right? I mean it’s in their interest, but they’re still doing good. Doesn’t that make it okay to bend the tax laws in funny ways? I mean I know I would be upset if some coal company was doing the same thing, but it’s okay here if you ask me.
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
“…the EFF doesn’t care when Big Search stomps all over your privacy as long as they’re clear enough in your disclosure”
The answer’s obvious, even to you, boy.
Don’t use “Big Search”!
If you don’t like the show, change the channel.
As Bugs Bunny would say: “Wotta maroon!”
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
“So go ahead. Rail against the Big Media companies. They’re pikers compared to the billionaires at Big Search, Big Hardware and Big Piracy.”
I think MegaUpload’s staff might disagree with you, boy.
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
They’re essentially a lobbying organization that goes after anyone who might threaten Big Search’s business model.
Yeah, get your pitchfork! Down with Big Civil Rights! Wait, what?
Re: Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
What civil rights? They just said that ignoring the privacy of Google users is to be applauded. I’m not sure I understand what you call civil rights, but that’s a big one for me.
Re: Re: Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
Did you even read the article you’re summarizing as ‘ignoring the privacy of Google users is to be applauded?’ The subtitle reads: “It Shouldn’t Take a Letter from Congress for Google to Give Straight Answers About Privacy Policy Changes”
They don’t applaud anything other than the clarity of Google’s follow-up to the letter from congress and even when they do that they point out how ridiculous it is that it took that kind of action to get said clarity: “This is a great deal clearer than their original notification, so we applaud that. It?s unfortunate that it took a letter from Congress to get them to give the public straightforward explanations.”
Then there’s an entire paragraph about ways to keep your data separate in spite of the new policy ending with: “To help users who wish to keep separate accounts, Google should make the process simpler and easier.”
Re: Re: Re:2 The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
Sure I read it. But did you read what I wrote:
In other words, the EFF doesn’t care when Big Search stomps all over your privacy as long as they’re clear enough in your disclosure.
So what if they scolded them about the letter from Congress. When Google became clear enough for them, they started applauding.
If they cared about Google’s privacy invasions in the same way that they cared about non-funders, they would be doing more than just offering the tepid solution of breaking up your non-private data into a few inconvenient parts. They would be asking why Google was keeping ANY of the data.
The rest of the press release is just beating Google with a wet noodle. Look how they treat other non-funding groups. Then compare.
Re: Re: Re:3 The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
You’re either a liar or an idiot. Either you can’t understand what was written or you’re flat out lying about it. The applauded the clarity of the follow up statement only. They did not applaud the action in general nor the vagueness that followed it. Yet you keep harping on the word ‘applaud’ as if it’s a applies to everything Google does.
They don’t have to ask why Google is keeping the data because they know, just like you know and I know because Google says why they keep the data.
Maybe they treat Google different than ‘non-funding groups’ because Google acts different from the groups they treat differently and that same difference is what leads Google to fund them in the first place. Can you name a single issue where they sided with Google against the public interest? If repeating the word ‘applaud’ from an article clearly not in favor of the direction Google is heading is the best you can do…
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What civil rights?
I’ll let the EFF speak for themselves.
“When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990?well before the Internet was on most people’s radar?and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights.”
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
So go ahead. Rail against the Big Media companies. They’re pikers compared to the billionaires at Big Search, Big Hardware and Big Piracy.
I think “bob” might actually be an acronym for Big Organizations = Bad.
Re: Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
Nah, that’s not possible. He thinks the RIAA/MPAA are sages of our time.
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
This is a particularly atrocious bit of rhetoric and double speak
“It should be no surprise that they’re big friends of whatever Big Search wants. Two days ago they applauded — their word– Google’s newly found clarity. In other words, the EFF doesn’t care when Big Search stomps all over your privacy as long as they’re clear enough in your disclosure.” (emphasis mine)
You say they applauded as if what they were applauding was the new privacy policy when nothing could be further from the truth and that fact is clearly evident in the links you yourself are providing, I guess assuming no one will actually read them. The EFF did not applaud the newly found clarity in the privacy policy. They called it “vague” and said “Google?s original explanation left much to be desired.” They lambasted Google for waiting for a letter from congress before making they changes clear: “It Shouldn’t Take a Letter from Congress for Google to Give Straight Answers About Privacy Policy Changes” and they only applauded the clarity of the updated statements, which are clear, and then went on to point out how bad the updates could be for users and why. If the EFF really ‘doesn’t care’ when Google stomps all over privacy then why do they devote so much of the article you link to explaining how users can restore the separation of data after the Google privacy policy update? If they really don’t care then why is the rest of the article you linked the EFF mocking Google for not being more straightforward more quickly? No, you’re more interested in making up a narrative you know to be false based on the materials you provide as if they back up your position. The only other alternative is that you didn’t read the article (carelessness) or didn’t understand it (stupidity).
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
You forgot to mention paywall.
You’re slipping, bud…
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
No, I think that Google is EFF’s astroturf.
EFF created: 1990
Google created: 1998
The only thing that surprises me why the hell they’ve been waiting for 8 years!
Re: The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
I debunked this myth days ago.
That you are still repeating this utter lie is shameful.
It would be nice if at some point we learned the real truth about how Google funds the EFF and “Techdirt” through laundered organizations.
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It would be way cooler if they started paying me for my posts like the trolls keep claiming.
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Speaking of paying. I just realized something amusing. If Big media had paid to silence techdirt for a year, they might have gotten SOPA and PIPA passed. It would have cost roughly the same as the +$90M lobbying effort.
Big content: face meet palm 🙂
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Wikipedia was a better deal. It only cost $500k and voila, they bark when told to bark.
http://venturebeat.com/2011/11/18/brin-wikipedia-grant/
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Because that $500,000 was clearly used to pay off all of the volunteer wikipedia contributors who democratically voted to blackout for a day.
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No, it was used to pay off Jimmy Wales when Google said they wanted Wikipedia blacked out for a day.
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Wait, didn’t Reddit pay Google $1,000,000 when they wanted Wikipedia to black out for a day?
No no, I know… Senator Wyden paid Reddit $2,000,000 so that they would tell Google to tell Wikipedia to tell Anonymous to black out everything for a day.
What am I saying! It was Dodd who paid Congress to black out Wikipedia who then bought Google who then pirated Reddit who then hacked Anonymous who then sold the Internet to North Korea!
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
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Get busy on that one. I am curious to find out myself. Let me know how the investigation goes. I want weekly updates. Every Friday.
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What do you know, today is Friday…
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I would hope Google at least contributes / donates some to the EFF. I know they get at least some of their funding from me though 🙂 Techdirt is sponsered by Disney, didn’t you know hehe
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Go read the MPAA blog if you want that sort of news. In fact, you can join them in whining at Ars Technica.
I guess I missed the class in law school where writing in initial caps indicates emphasis that must be considered.
I strenuously object!
How would we know if “The EFF is opposed to any effective enforcement and litigation of intellectual property law”
when we have never had an example of one to oppose?
When the EFF was created, it was a good group with noble goals. However, since the group was lead by people like Lessig for too long, they have turned from a rights group into more of a issue oriented lobby group. All of their good work ends up negated by their current adversarial approaches when it comes to dealing with any content creator.
Really, the EFF has hurt themselves, and are now are on par with the Moral Majority and Parents Television Council. They are not longer fighting for what is right, they are fighting for what they want, no matter how many people are hurt by it.
They had a good run… but just like Lessig’s first amendment arguments about copyright, they are tired and less and less relevant.
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So if you were innocent of copyright infringement charges levelled against you, you’d turn down their help or guidance, wouldya?
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Yes, I often challenge them to tell me one example of how they’ve helped the copyright holder recently. After all, they keep talking about protecting my rights online. Yet all of their cases involve making it easier for Big Search, Big Piracy and Big Hardware to operate without sharing anything with the content creators.
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Good morning, Robert. I would challenge you to show me one single instance where the copyright holders have needed any help aside from their swollen wallets? They have already purchased extended copyright terms beyond any resemblance of fairness based on the original agreement with the public, they have purchased ever more draconian legislation which they have missed not a single opportunity to abuse, and finally they seem to have no problem extracting multi-million dollar judgements against housewives and students with no regard for due process or constitutionally excessive statutory damages. So if you could maybe just show one instance where the EFF hasn’t acted in the interests of those that actually need their help, I’d really appreciate it.
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Would you look at that. A post from today where the EFF is trying to help the real content creators: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/dear-hollywood-open-letter-hardworking-men-and-women-entertainment-industries
and here’s another, again from today, where the EFF commits to trying to help content creators: https://www.eff.org/press/releases/megauploads-innocent-users-deserve-their-data-back
and here’s another, this time from last week, where the EFF again is helping creators: https://www.eff.org/press/releases/help-protect-gadget-jailbreakers-and-video-artists-legal-threats
I’m sure you’ve already written them off in some crazy narrative about piracy, hardware, and search where anything less than maximalism on copyright is part of some vast conspiracy instead of simply being against the public interest.
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No, no, he’s challenging you to a Fight to the Death to prove that EFF said any of that. With pistols, at noon.
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All of their good work ends up negated by their current adversarial approaches when it comes to dealing with any content creator.
Here’s a thought: maybe those “content creators” (in reality: corporations that leech off of artists) should stop trying to do away with civil rights.
All of their good work ends up negated by their current adversarial approaches when it comes to dealing with any content creator.
Chicken or the egg?
You really think that the entertainment trade groups have given them warm fuzzies and puppy dog hugs for standing against them in support of little guy’s rights?
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Crap. I am so off my game today. Must be Friday.
This is a response to Anonymous Coward, Feb 3rd, 2012 @ 8:03am
This crook Steele appears on DTD’s blog today and shows what an insecure, pitiful person he is:
…That filing of yours was very entertaining (like watching a handicapped kid pretend to be a lawyer)…
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Too good! Not even identifying himself anymore. We’ve all been goading him lately and he finally cracked! I dearly hope he comes to troll the threads about Hard Drive Productions Inc.’s pending demise. I would love to hear a first hand report from John about how the phone conversations went after HDP was served!
First person to actually be served with a summons over John’s antics is one of his own clients. Gotta love it!
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Wow, yet another nasty comment. What I wise man Steele is!
Its a good thing you don?t allow posts telling your sheeple reading this stupid site that all your efforts have netted zero success to date. Can?t wait to read more of your stupid shit (always enjoy a good laugh) and having it kicked out (as usual). Maybe you should just spend more time in your mom?s basement jerking off and less time embarrassing yourself in court.
(To preempt any doubts that this is just a forum troll and not the famous pirate-hunter, believe me – it’s him)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Perry_Barlow
For all those questioning EFF’s commitment to having IP laws that make sense. Read the whole bio….take your time.
Most of those bullet points are basically saying the same thing.
If the Constitution is the highest law of the land…how does a group being in favor of it make them lawless?
Defamation lawsuit for gross exaggeration and damage to EFF
ss character gogogogogogogogoogogogogo. Could probably get whatever the legel equiv of unsporting conduct too.
Indeed EFF needs to learn how things work, they should send a demand letter stating. “If you do not pay us 5,000$ we will file an amicus brief, if you do not respond within 14 days, we will charge 10,000$ not to file an amicus brief” Thats how thing are done. Catch up EFF.lol
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That’s the best comment in this thread!
In a perfect world, the children of the copyright trolling lawyers would murder them in their sleep. No jury in the country would find them guilty.
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Nah, you want to watch them squirm, just have their children download a whole slew of songs, and then get taken to court.
As the children are underage, that means(I think) any judgement would be levied against the parents, hence forcing them to either defend the same thing they’ve been suing other people for, and thereby destroying their trollish careers, or lose the case and go broke paying the fines.
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You forgot option C, make a quick phone call to get the case dropped.
In a perfect world, the children of the copyright trolling lawyers would murder them in their sleep. No jury in the country would find them guilty.
The EFF is just astroturfing for Big Search
What do you think about Big Shut-Up and Big Fuck-Off?
Re:
Look, hollywood is big enough to fight it’s own battles. It doesn’t need the EFF’s help. I guess they don’t help “Big whine” by paying for shills either.