Sleazy Lawyers Accuse Blind Man of Downloading Porn


In yet another example of the abuses possible under our current copyright law, a blind man is considering settling with some sleazy lawyers and a porn company - paying them thousands for a crime he claims he didn't commit.

As reported on torrentfreak.com, a blind man (known as John Doe 2,057 in the case of Imperial Enterprises v. Does) claims he has been wrongfully accused of copyright infringement.

The porn merchants behind this action - and their law firm - apparently don't care. In fact, the law firm has previously employed what a Federal Judge has called "inexcusable" tactics to go after tens of thousands of John Does who might (or might not) have illegally downloaded porn.

So-called "copyright trolls" are lawyers who generate thousands upon thousands of threatening letters - addressed to anyone whose IP address comes up in a list of possible infringers. These form letters demand a payment of thousands of dollars or they threaten that a very costly lawsuit will follow.

After looking into how much it will cost to defend themselves and the potential embarrassment such a suit might involve - most defendants just settle.

There are numerous stories about innocent people caught up in this messed-up legal process. For example, in the case of John Doe 2,057, the law firm of Dunlap, Grubb and Weaver has demanded a cash settlement from an apparently innocent man.

Making a copy without permission (even if it's just for your own entertainment) can be a violation of copyright law. But harassing an innocent blind man whose wireless router was apparently tapped into by a neighbor has to be worse.

As it turns out - under the current copyright law - it is sometimes cheaper for an innocent person (i.e., a blind man who has been unjustly accused of copyright infringement) to settle.

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