Yet Another Judge Says No To Mass Infringement Lawsuits

from the how's-that-working-out-for-you-beryl? dept

Mon, Apr 4th 2011 9:00pm — Mike Masnick

It's seems former RIAA lobbyist Judge Beryl Howell's recent decision that it's fine to lump together a bunch of totally unrelated copyright infringement lawsuits into a single lawsuit is increasingly looking like an outlier. Two more such lawsuits have been rejected by a court, which severed all of the defendants except one in each case, as multiple other courts have done. It's nice to see that multiple courts are rejecting this highly questionable procedure, which is clearly an attempt to abuse the court system as a part of a business model.

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Filed Under: file sharing, joinder, lawsuits

14 Comments

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Pixelation, 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:05pm

Has anyone investigated judge Howell's finances?
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- Jay (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:18pm
  
  Re:
  Ars had a sweet write up, Torrentfreak led the way, and the EFF knows, I believe.
  
  BELIEVE me... It got around quickly that she was making 100,000+ from RIAA funds, she was a lobbyist for the RIAA for 5+ years and the little dog she had was named Frou-Frou.
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  - The eejit (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 12:43am
    
    Re: Re:
    Not Schadenfreude? I'm impressed.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2011 @ 12:25am

aren't judges elected in America? or is that just for one level of judge?
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- Christopher (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 2:58am
  
  Re:
  State judges are elected. Federal judges, as far as I know, are appointed by the President and then voted on by Congress (do you see the problem with that system? I'll give it to you: congressional bribes/lobbying money).
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- Ken (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 10:53am
  
  Re:
  They are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Judge Beryl Howell was appointed by Obama and only confirmed in December. A Federal Judge is a lifetime position and they can only be removed by impeachment.
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fogbugzd (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 2:27am

Not a business model
I resent seeing these mass lawsuit schemes called "business models." They are extortion schemes that abuse the legal system. Some copyright maximalists who post here defend the system, but if they understood what is really going on they would realize how much damage the scam is doing to their long term interests.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2011 @ 6:20am
  
  Re: Not a business model
  believe me, they understand. They just don't care about long term. To them, "long term" is the next fiscal quarter.
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Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 2:50am

Blackadder moment
It's seems former RIAA lobbyist Judge Beryl Howell's recent decision that it's fine to lump together a bunch of totally unrelated copyright infringement lawsuits into a single lawsuit is increasingly looking like an outlier

Her and Redbeard Rum:

" "Well, opinion on the matter is divided m'Lord. All the other captains say it is. I say it isn't!"
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tasmot (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 4:29am

Where does she sit?
Does this mean that we now have Marshall, Texas and where ever she is presiding as preferred venues?
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- Donnicton, 5 Apr 2011 @ 4:31am
  
  Re: Where does she sit?
  She's in Washington D.C.
  
  Surprise.
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Ken (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 9:13am

Impeach Federal Judge Beryl Howell For Conflict Of Interest
I have created a Facebook group calling for the investigation and possible impeachment of Judge Howell for her blatant conflict of interest. The fact that no other judge has sided with her position shows how out of step her ruling was and the fact she is so conflicted with her past of working for both the RIAA and a copyright trolling law firm proves she is unfit for the bench.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_144697032262506
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2011 @ 5:30pm

I enjoy people talking to Randazza, it is such a treat when he puts on his coherent face. I'd just point out for all of his "going after them individually" rhetoric, if you run IPs from his last few filings... they are well outside the jurisdiction of the court where he filed his mass suits.

Do as I claim, not as I do?

It also brings a tear to me eye to see Steele kicked in the teeth again, this means he won't be popping in trying to salvage his image any more. He was fun to outplay.

Stone is going down in flames, the Judge filed an order demanding all of his records and financial docs regarding the case where he made up the subpoenas.

Steele reportedly showing up drunk at an event trying to solicit more people to back him... maybe if they were drunk they might back someone with his track record.

Randazza bounces between complete denial and outright looney toons. Part of me is saddened to see a defender of free speech go out like this and well... that sure is a fun fire to watch, anyone got some marshmallows?

Poor Judge Howell, trying to hard to make this type of shakedown work for the media corps and if it wasn't for those darn inept porn suits she would have gotten away with it too. (cue scooby saying the outro)
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Apr 2011 @ 8:03pm

Doh - Judge Howell just let them add another 700ish people to a mass lawsuit. I guess Scooby and the gang need to roll faster.

http://www.archive.org/download/gov.uscourts.dcd.141583/gov.uscourts.dcd.141583.74.0.pdf

Oh and for anyone who thinks I was wrong about Randazza...
How does one argue against suing for $150k and then sue people for $150k?

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110224/11500513247/amicus-brief-calls-into-question-leg ality-righthavens-entire-business-model.shtml
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