Mysterious Non-Company 'Helping' ACS:Law Collect Fines Now Says Forget The Whole Thing
from the moving-on... dept
As ACS:Law’s legal mistakes mount, there was a recent story about how the company had passed on some collections efforts to a firm called GCB, but the details suggested another total screwup. People tracked GCB back to an accounting firm, which quickly put on their website that while GCB was formed by it, it “appears to be being misused by some third party,” and that it was “taking urgent steps” to end this. The details suggested some odd maneuverings:
When PC Pro spoke to McLean Reid partner John Champion, he told us that GCB had been registered at that address on behalf of one his clients, David Fisher.
Champion said that Fisher had lent his dormant company to an associate, who had been collecting the file-sharing money without his knowledge. “He just decided to help a friend out,” Champion said. “He wanted a dormant company, and he said ‘Oh I’ve got one that’s not doing anything, you can have that’.”
“I know Dave Fisher is put down as a director [of GCB], [but] this activity was done without him knowing what activity was happening,” Champion added. “I think he’s taking steps to make sure all that money’s been repaid.”
The “friend”? Yeah, according to PCPro, it turns out that it was Andrew Crossley, the guy from ACS:Law. Either way, it seems that all this attention has scared Fisher off. An anonymous tipster alerts us to the news that if you call the phone number that GCB tells you to call to pay up, you get the following message:
“If you have received a letter from GCB Ltd please disregard this letter as GCB is no longer pursuing the matter stated in the letter.”
Seems like Crossley and ACS:Law are going to have to try the next option.
Filed Under: andrew crossley, copyright, fines, shakedowns, uk
Companies: acs:law, gcb
Comments on “Mysterious Non-Company 'Helping' ACS:Law Collect Fines Now Says Forget The Whole Thing”
This gave me a chuckle
The Falty Towers of law, anyone?
This was on of those moments ...
This was on of those moments that I realised everything was going to work out for the internet.
Welcome to the year the pendulum reaches its apogee and begins swinging back.
This was on of those moments ...
Although wishful, how is it when the US and UK are neck deep in backwoods politics, not understanding the basic freedoms of the internet on an accurate scale other than “hey, I want to get reelected in X years”
This was on of those moments ...
“not understanding the basic freedoms of the internet on an accurate scale other than “hey, I want to get reelected in X years””
Thats just it, the politicians, the IP maximalist types, do not understand. The politicians see the internet as a way to promote themselves that is trendy. The IP maximalist view the internet as a broadcast medium. Each side ascribes (definition 2) their values and world views on the internet. It means that they can’t see the internet for what it is, a way of sharing information, a way to converse with others, and most importantly a place where things may get misplaced but are never lost.
We are about to come off of 400 years of copyright. The only way that can be stopped is if every communication between everyone is monitored and recorded. That is not going to happen.
TIME FOR PLAN E...
Time to go DOOR to DOOR, and go “We think you are illegally downloading. Pay up or we’ll sue you.”… Watch how well that works…
but but the kiddy pron i didnt know he was doing that
you can’t plead ignorance under the law and if your house is being used for crime its YOUR responsibility.
you can end this discussion now
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8280714/Hacked-law-firm-abandons-filesharer-pursuit-amid-bomb-threat-claims.html
I just noticed the above and thought this was the best place for it. Essentially Crossley is now claiming there were bomb threats which is why he has stopped working, the police deny any knowledge of them of course.
The cynic in me (which these days is most of me) immediately thinks that Crossley is trying to obfuscate the issue. He is trying to claim that the reason he has stopped is not because he is incompetant and is trying to extort money but rather because he has been threatened with violence.
Shuck and Jive!
Re:
quite possible you could be right this story also in The Gaurdian at the link below.
The controversial London-based law firm which sent tens of thousands of letters demanding payment from people it accused of illegal filesharing has dramatically quit its copyright litigations, claiming death threats are causing “immense hassle” to the lead solicitor’s family.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/25/acslaw-ceases-filesharing-claims
perhaps they also realise the futility of such claims on such flimsly evedence.