The Hurt Locker Producer Sues 5,000 BitTorrenters

By Jane McEntegart
published

A couple of weeks back, news hit that the producer of the Hurt Locker planned to sue thousands of BitTorrent users for pirating the award-winning movie. Today we learn that Voltage Pictures has filed suit against 5,000 unidentified BitTorrent users.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia states:

"A Defendant's distribution of even one unlawful copy of a motion picture can result in the nearly instantaneous worldwide distribution of that single copy to a limitless number of people. The Plaintiff new seeks redress for this rampant infringement of their exclusive rights."

The next step will be for Voltage to subpoena ISPs for the identities behind the IP addresses used to download the movie. As was reported a couple of weeks back, 75 percent are said to have handed over the necessary information and the remainder are said to be holding back only because it's a lot of work.

As soon as individuals have been identified, they'll be sent demand letters seeking a settlement. Though there's no official word on what kind of money they'll be asked for, THR reports that similar suits have called for each person to fork out $1,500 in return for being released from liability.

If any of the 5,000 people decided to take the matter to trial and lost, they'd be looking at considerably more money as well as attorney fees.

Full story here.

Jane McEntegart
99 Comments Comment from the forums
  • CoryInJapan
    Or just stick to the private trackers....Orrrrr don't pirate at all.
    Not saying we dont all commit some sort of piracy.
    But it has gotten a bit out of hand these days.With everyone on broadband n such.Well most anyways.

    But twas a crappy movie.They are just looking for money for they're crap movie.Hollywood is mostly garbage now days with a good release maybe 1-2 times every 1-3 years now days.I'm comparing this decades junk to the awesomeness of the 90's on back.
    Reply
  • cryogenic
    So these torrenting users are preventing the filthy rich media companies from becoming even richer?

    I don't recall seeing media companies compete on price, ever! I think we should sue them for price fixing and extortion.

    I don't support piracy in any way, but considering the fact that the media conglomerates have not been able to present a solution for easy online access to content over the last decade, I don't think the law suits are warranted.
    Reply
  • Christopher1
    Right in one. Peerblock has kept me from getting caught many times.
    Reply
  • lashton
    lol no one uses torrents anymore do they?
    If you use torrents expect to get caught
    Reply
  • Any insolvent privateer should represent themselves in pro per and force the MPAA to take it to trial. Then declare bankruptcy.
    Reply
  • kinggraves
    No matter how many oscars they buy, it won't erase the bad press that lawsuits bring. Voltage Pictures is now the guy at the party that calls the cops. No one wants to invite that guy.
    Reply
  • Kryan
    these 5000 people...are they only in the US? (and no, i'm not asking coz i downloaded it, i didn't...*cough*yet*cough*)

    but as far as i know most EU countries protect the end user (us paying subscribers) quite well...??
    Reply
  • KingArcher
    zoemayneFUCKING IMAN ADVERTISEMENT SCARED ME. LOUD SHIT BLASTED MY SPEAKERS YTF DO YOU NEED SUCH BASS ON AN ADV. Spam advertisements like that and I'll drop this website like a bad habit.
    Zoemayne, use Firefox with the addon: Adblock plus, very effective against those ads.
    Reply
  • tipoo
    KingArcherZoemayne, use Firefox with the addon: Adblock plus, very effective against those ads.

    Those ads are what keep Tomshardware and every other tech site alive.
    Reply
  • bison88
    ...because we are all shaking in our boots. Like people were going to see the movie anyways. Most people who pirated the movie last summer never heard about it but were bored shitless because nothing was on TV and decided "Hell, why not check out another crappy war knock off" and while the acting was better it is definitely another fake of military life. You war directors need to take some notes from Steven Spielberg, at least his flick was a more realistic example of it all and the emotional baggage that goes along with it.

    Not to mention the script was stolen from a mans actual experience in which he didn't receive a dime or even a credit about by this director. Talk about pirates, way to STEAL a mans experience Hollywood. I encourage people to Google it and compare the two stories in verbatim.
    Reply