Scammers Sending Out Notices Pretending To Be From HADOPI, Demanding Money For Infringement
from the a-fine-fine-line dept
Earlier this year, we noted that scammers were copying the mass automated pre-settlement copyright infringement notices of law firms like ACS:Law and US Copyright Group, in order to get people to install malware on their computers. It appears that sort of effort is only expanding. With French President Sarkozy getting his wish for a three strikes law in France, the bureaucracy set up to deal with the resulting mess, Hadopi, is now trying to warn people around France that scammers have started sending out fake notices, pretending to be from Hadopi, demanding money for copyright infringement. Unfortunately, it's yet another unintended consequence of bad legislation.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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What?
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Re: What?
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Oh hold on this sounds strangely familiar....
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but perhaps this isn't such a bad thing, maybe some1 will finally realize that it was a bad idea after all.
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Interesting...
If a majority of people can't tell the difference between the scammers and Hadopi....does that make the argument that Hadopi is similar enough to be considered scammers themselves?
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Re: Interesting...
Hand over your 401K and move along, nothing to see here.
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Re: Re: Interesting...
There is no such a thing, even the government knows that.
The money supposedly collected in the citizens behalf was spend a long time ago, and they don't have a clue as how they will pay them back.
Just wait and see congress pass legislation reducing payouts for retiree's.
There is a very real possibility that people entering the job market place today will not be able to count on that retirement fund ever.
The government did what they do best, took the money and spend it all, and the public will have to foot the bill once again.
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Re: Re: Re: Interesting...
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The Silver Lining
But this will last only long enough until Sarkozy gets one of these illicit notifications and works to pass a law making it illegal to scam people...
...
...Nevermind. France is boned.
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Re: The Silver Lining
Of course the U.S. copyright group will never send these letters to such high profile people and if they accidentally do, upon discovering their mistake they will revoke the lawsuits to them. Someone else needs to and they need to pursue the lawsuit to its end. Any volunteers? Maybe the EFF can do it and they need to pick a district that they are most likely to win in (East Texas anyone? But that's patents, where do people normally sue for copyright?).
Of course, once high profile people get these letters the laws will change in a way that stops people from sending these legal threats to high profile people without preventing the U.S. copyright group from sending them to everyone else, but at least doing all this will bring more attention to the issue which may, in the long run, help correct the problem one day.
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Re: Re: The Silver Lining
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Re: Re: Re: The Silver Lining
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hadopi not responsible for scammers
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Re: hadopi not responsible for scammers
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Re: Re: hadopi not responsible for scammers
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Re: Re: Re: hadopi not responsible for scammers
The problem is that people who passed the law are themselves scammers and copyright itself is a scam.
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Re: hadopi not responsible for scammers
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Re: Re: hadopi not responsible for scammers
It should be obvious that demands for money from HADOPI would be a scam. This is a non-story.
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I can't tell the difference - why pay anyone?
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I can't tell the difference - can you tell the difference.
If they're going to take away my connection to my distant family, my kid's connection to their teacher, our health sites (which have probably saved one life in our house alone), and sabotage my career, then I want A LIST of what sites are legal and what are not. A LIST of what movies, books and music are actually free. A LIST of what I can and cannot do with the software that came with my computer which I use, for example to rip all my music from grooveshark.
Is that asking for too much, do you think?
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