German Mass Copyright Letter Sender Using Debt Collectors To Pressure People To Pay Up

from the looking-more-and-more-like-extortion dept

We've seen the various mass copyright infringement factories popping up all over the world, often using similar strategies: suing or threatening to sue thousands of individuals based solely on an IP address. The whole "business model" is based not on traditional copyright infringement statutory awards, but on convincing people to pay up beforehand to avoid being sued. The model feels quite similar to what's normally considered extortion ("pay up or we harm you"). Someone recently sent us a copy of what's alleged to be a contract being used by a German law firm, Schutt, Waetke Rechtsanwalte, which has been involved in such mass threats for many years. You can find references online going back to at least 2005 of this law firm sending out such pre-settlement letters to thousands of Germans. I contacted the firm to see if they would confirm or deny the legitimacy of the contract, and they would not respond. So, perhaps take the details with a grain of salt, even though the firm has been connected to these sorts of pre-settlement jobs for a while.

What's interesting about this particular contract is that, not only does it display the specific terms of the deal, but it's quite upfront about the fact that they hand this project off to debt collectors to put the pressure on people who don't pay up -- even though there's no official "debt." This is incredibly underhanded. The details of the deal is that the "client" (copyright holder) gives power of attorney to Schutt, Waetke, which then works with a company called Excubitor, to find the works online. Once Excubitor finds works, they send the data to Schutt, Watke, which then works to identify them via ISPs. Once identified they're sent a letter in which a "settlement" is demanded "as payment of compensation and reimbursement of disbursements and attorneys' fees." Here, the contract is explicit:
The Attorneys will use the assistance of DEBT COLLECTION AGENCIES for processing, administration and handling of procedures.
I don't know enough about German law, but I do wonder how this can possibly be legal. How can you simply declare unilaterally someone has to pay you something and then immediately have a debt collection agency take up your cause? I don't see how there's any debt until either the individual has agreed to pay up or a court has ordered it. Involving debt collectors so early on seems highly questionable. Later on, the contract explains in more detail that anyone who doesn't pay in full, will automatically be handed over to a debt collector:
Under normal circumstances and in so far as not otherwise agreed on a case by case basis, all cases which do not entail a settlement of payments in full by th eparty who received the warning will be handed over to DEBT COLLECTION AGENCIES immediately after the expiry of the allotted payment period for further extra-judicial recovery (debt collection) and then to LO in the name and on behalf of the Client for the asertion of claims for payment in enforcement and recovery proceedings.
Again, I'm trying to understand how this can possibly be legal, but if some German legal experts can chime in and let us know if it's really legal to unilaterally declare someone owes you money, based on no agreement or contract, and then hand it off to a debt collector, that would be great.

As for the economics of this all, the settlement demands are for €700. However, it doesn't seem like a very good deal for the copyright holder. First of all, Schutt, Waetke demands an upfront fee of €161 (plus taxes) per individual case, which the law firm will apparently just take out of any settlement money received, rather than invoicing the client directly. I'm assuming this is to get around the issue, discussed about a year ago, about how some of the German law firms were breaking the law by doing some of these deals on a purely commission-based setup. On top of that, 27% (plus taxes) of any money recovered goes to Excubitor, the firm that's hunting down the infringing files online. On top of that, it says that the debt collection agencies get 20% (plus taxes). Then another 10% of payments are put into a "kitty" for the attorneys to use at their discretion for various costs, and an additional €1 goes to Excubitor for each name they identify. Apparently at the end of the contract, if there are no outstanding expenses, this money can go back to the client. The contract also notes that if the fees are insufficient to handle identification of users or of going to court, the client can be on the hook for that as well.

So, even if we ignore the "plus taxes," out of the €700 potentially received, €161 goes to the lawyers, €189 goes to Excubitor and €140 goes to the debt collectors. If my understanding of the contract is correct, that's €490 of the €700 already gone (and if you add in the "plus taxes," it's even more than that). If you then include the additional "kitty" costs, that's another €71. That appears to leave just €139 (minus taxes, so drop that number even lower) for the copyright holder. And that's only if they get a settlement. If they don't they're still out at least €161 based on what the contract seems to suggest.

So if this is accurate, then the copyright holders stand to make very little and could end up losing a significant amount if most recipients don't settle. Seems like an odd deal to make.
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Filed Under: copyright, debt collection, germany
Companies: schutt waetke


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  1. icon
    The eejit (profile), 25 Jan 2011 @ 2:59pm

    That's because it's nto a deal, it's extortion gouging both ends.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Paunch Bruticus, 25 Jan 2011 @ 4:26pm

    Gouging

    Topic is discussed at length on ToytownGermany.

    http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=145048

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 25 Jan 2011 @ 4:33pm

    It just is

    "How can you simply declare unilaterally someone has to pay you something and then immediately have a debt collection agency take up your cause?"

    That seems to be how it works. You're not obligated to pay, barring a court order, but they can play havoc with your credit.

    That said, I'd like to see people reporting this as an extortion attempt. Let the cops/courts sort it out.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    abc gum, 25 Jan 2011 @ 4:55pm

    How can a debt collection agency collect a debt that does not exist?
    Looks like criminal activity to me.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Richard (profile), 25 Jan 2011 @ 6:52pm

    So if this is accurate, then the copyright holders stand to make very little and could end up losing a significant amount if most recipients don't settle. Seems like an odd deal to make.
    Sounds like a standard record industry contract to me, complete with record industry accounting.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2011 @ 6:53pm

    Keep in mind that just because the letter says debt collection agencies may become involved doesn't mean they actually will be contracted. Classic extortion tactics - even if you don't actually have the wherewithal to do something, if the other guy doesn't know that...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    slobbersnarf, 25 Jan 2011 @ 7:02pm

    Mafia Tactics

    It's a shakedown, plain and simple.

    These clowns and others like them are increasingly resorting to mafia tactics, the law be damned.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2011 @ 8:26pm

    I can't believe this is legal even in Germany.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    techinabox (profile), 25 Jan 2011 @ 10:54pm

    Some one should modify the letter and return it claiming fees for wasting their time. Then turn it over to collections if they don't pay.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    The eejit (profile), 26 Jan 2011 @ 3:43am

    Re:

    Doesn't matter. By referring it to a Collsctions Agency, it atuomatically tanks your credit rating. Fraudulent credit-rating adjustments (as this clearly is) is liable to disbarment and revocation of your Collector's license.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Michael, 26 Jan 2011 @ 6:14am

    Re: Re:

    I think the scheme is awful and the lawyers involved should be disbarred.

    However, forwarding something to a debt collection agency does not mean it impacts their credit. Debt collection agencies do not have to notify credit agencies of any activity. It is possible that these are a special deal being handled by the collection agency that simply use their collection tactics and resources to annoy people into paying without actually impacting their credit score in any way. In fact, it makes sense to do this since most people will think it could impact their credit and since it is a collection agency, they may even think they have already somehow lost their ability to fight.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Shon Gale (profile), 26 Jan 2011 @ 9:11am

    No matter their threats you simply send them a registered letter with a really low-ball offer and wait for their counter offer. They have to respond to your response. How do you think they drag out legal proceedings so long?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    drew (profile), 26 Jan 2011 @ 12:26pm

    It's a bit like parking your car...

    No really! In the UK a lot of the private parking firms work on exactly the same principle. With similarly dubious legal standing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    in debt, 19 Aug 2011 @ 4:51pm

    Debt collectors are such scum

    After I lost my income I've been trying to settle my debt and these people won't stop calling me. Do they think I get money for talking to them, which I might use to pay off my debts? Jesus... If I say "I'm broke" it means I'm broke or at least that's how I'd interpret this statement.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Chantelle, 25 Mar 2014 @ 12:33am

    German extortion

    Bump up on this! Does anyone have any experience on this recently or the outcome of not paying? I've received a letter and have been advised to not respond at all. I'm only living in Germany until the end of the year and don't need a credit rating here... I am only worried if this has an impact on my visa/work permit in Europe in future. What is the risk if I don't pay?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    another letter, 9 May 2014 @ 11:56am

    Re: German extortion

    Any updates, Chantelle? I just recieved a letter and am trying to figure out what to do

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Chantelle, 27 May 2014 @ 11:29am

    No unfortunately not... My friend has advised me to just continue to ignore them. I am still not sure what can be done or if I should get a second opinion. Any progress with yours?

    link to this | view in thread ]


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