Producers of The Hurt Locker are suing 5,000 people who allegedly downloaded copies of the Oscar-winning film from the internet in the latest attempt to fight digital piracy. In one of the largest lawsuits filed against individuals, Voltage Pictures is suing 5,000 internet users who downloaded the film illegally. While Voltage currently only has the […]
Producers of The Hurt Locker are suing 5,000 people who allegedly downloaded copies of the Oscar-winning film from the internet in the latest attempt to fight digital piracy. In one of the largest lawsuits filed against individuals, Voltage Pictures is suing 5,000 internet users who downloaded the film illegally.
While Voltage currently only has the IP numbers of the targeted individuals, they’re working with ISPs to identify the pirates, who will be sent letters demanding that they pay $1,500 (£1000). If the $1,500 isn’t paid, Voltage plans to take the downloader to court at ten times the amount (up to $150,000). Voltage seems particularly keen on collecting their money, as the film has won numerous awards, yet only earned less than $17 million at the box office.
01/06/2010
The film was first leaked online months before its US release and is believed to have been downloaded millions of times.
The producers’ legal claim, filed in Washington DC, said the digital piracy was a “rampant infringement” of its rights. It said distribution of even one unlawful copy could “result in the nearly instantaneous worldwide distribution of that single copy to a limitless number of people”.
