Quakester2000 and GristyMcFisty both used our news submit to tell us that DirectTV are following the RIAA's tactics in suing individuals, but this time for the use of unauthorised equipment to receive DirectTV satellite broadcasts. They have sent out 80,000 letters to people asking to settle for around $ 3,500, filed over 15,000 lawsuits and will sue at least 150 users in Maryland all for the unauthorised use of equipment to receive DirecTV. With this many warnings and lawsuits, it makes the RIAA's number's look tiny.
Originally, 241 legal actions were filed on the first round and since then the RIAA has decided to tread more softly, sending out 204 letters to alleged file sharers in its second round. It is now filing suit against 80 of these. Of the 156 that have settled, 124 came out of this latest batch. The RIAA has also had another 1,000 people apply for amnesty from litigation under its "Clean Slate" program where you destroy illegal tracks and promise not to do it again. On a different note, and probably more seriously, DirecTV has said that it will sue at least 150 residents of Maryland which it claims have been using unauthorized equipment to receive programming. The allegations are part of a nationwide sweep by DirecTV and the company has sent letters to more than 80,000 people asking around $ 3,500 each to settle. The company has already filed over 15,000 law suits. DirecTV is being lambasted for its heavy-handed approach, with one defender of the actions saying that many of these people don't even have satellite dishes. The defendants either have to pay the settlement fines or pay a lawyer to defend them and if DirecTV isn't fully diligent it could find itself paying legal costs on both sides. |
It is not clear how DirecTV are finding out which consumers are using unauthorised equipment and whether or not the DMCA is being used to issue these letters and lawsuits, but according to one defendant many of these people who have received these letters do not even have a satellite dish! I find it a very bad business practice to just slap a vast number of lawsuits on people as a simple tactic to fight piracy. At least the European satellite providers have found a more sensible approach by upgrading their encryption system and the customers equipment to support it. This has proven very successful in dropping satellite piracy levels within Europe without having to sue anyone.
Source: The Register
