Thought Prenda Was Dead? No, It's Up To Its Old Tricks... And More
from the they-just-don't-quit dept
Even as Prenda supposedly lays dying, it appears that Team Prenda is up to the same old tricks under a new name. As detailed by FightCopyrightTrolls, Paul Duffy appears to be playing the same game Prenda has played before. Back in December, we wrote about Prenda's big bag of tricks in trying to get names associated with IP addresses using any means necessary. It involved a series of "tricks" involving a specific state court, a single named "defendant" but with claimed "co-conspirators" who are not named other than by a long list of IP addresses (but whom Team Prenda will argue cannot intervene in the case because they're not named parties), a questionable charge of hacking under the CFAA conflated with copyright claims (which are meaningless in state court), followed quickly by the "defendant" agreeing to some sort of "settlement" that grants Team Prenda the right to do discovery on the "co-conspirators" such that Prenda can send out the subpoenas, get info back from ISPs and then begin the usual copyright trolling shakedown. Read that bag of tricks link above to get the full story.As FCT's article shows, it appears that even as John Steele, Paul Hansmeier and Paul Duffy have been facing very, very critical courts in multiple states -- with some even suggesting that they've been violating criminal laws -- it appears that at least some of them are still doing the same old thing. Paul Duffy just recently filed one of these lawsuits, once again in St. Clair County Illinois. And, just like before, the lawyer on the other side was Adam Urbanczyk -- the lawyer who is on the other side on a whole bunch of the cases that quickly "settled," allowing discovery. This willingness to settle and grant discovery already had one judge question if Urbanczyk and Prenda were "in bed together," and in at least one Prenda case, a defendant has admitted that Prenda more or less offered him a "deal" if he would do that kind of settlement. And, just as in the past, Urbanczyk's client quickly "settled" and "agreed" to allow widespread discovery with little limit.
Because judges like to clear out their dockets nice and quick and a "settlement" looks good, this one was approved, allowing Paul Duffy to subpoena a wide variety of ISPs for customer data. Not surprisingly, threat letters soon followed officially from the "Duffy Law Group." Just as before, the letters basically say "pay up or you'll get sued," and (of course) misrepresent the basics of the law and the likelihood of damages in any lawsuit. Of course, as FCT also notes, at least some of the threat letters appear to have been sent out after the "Duffy Law Group" was involuntarily dissolved. But, apparently it's still going...
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Filed Under: john steele, paul duffy, paul hansmeier
Companies: duffy law group, prenda
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I couldn't help but notice
Has anyone verified that?
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Re: I couldn't help but notice
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One wonders if the conflation of the two in the threat letters isn't blatant fraud...above and beyond the usual amount of apparent fraud on the part of Prenda et al.
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That ship sailed a long time ago.
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Re: I couldn't help but notice
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Re: Re: I couldn't help but notice
His entire web presence hit a dead end after some posts about medical issues.
They served random unrelated female at an address they claimed was his, but that address never appeared in his name in any searches?
I tried doing a search on that name to bring up the research postings again and got no hits on FCT or DTD...
Do you have the link handy?
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Yep kept hitting dead ends looking into the person, sadly we never did find someone local to that area in FL to check obits....
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I think the primaries in the Prenda saga are pretty much like crack addicts. They will keep filing mass copyright cases as long as they have their attorney licenses. They just can't help themselves. In fact, if they lose their law licenses I wouldn't be surprised to see them still try to file, perhaps using some washed-up lawyer or new law school graduate to do their dirty work.
Of course, I'm not sure Techdirt readers are much different. I keep swearing I am not going to read another story about Prenda. But when the next one appears I just have to peek. And then comment. Twice on the same article. I think I need an intervention.
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Why not. Nothing is really stopping them. So the court got mad and there were some raised voices. Woopdi do. Raised voices supposed and slapped wrists supposed to disuade crooks who are making a fortune on their crimes?
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Unbelievable, disgusting, and on and on. How can you not continue to be in thrall to such a real life fairy tale?
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yeah....
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Re: yeah....
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Heck, the fact that Duffy at least is still pulling crap like this suggests that he's not exactly worried too much about potential repercussions for his actions.
Now to be clear, I quite enjoy watching these scum-bags get worked over by the legal system and lawyers and judges who aren't willing to just let things slide, and I would love nothing more than to read an article sometime in the future all about the lot of these parasites getting slapped with so many fines, and so much jail-time for their actions that it sets new records for such things, but until then my rather low opinion of the 'justice' system the US seems to have these days will keep me from being too optimistic about their chances to face all the punishment they so richly deserve.
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Not in a good way, though.
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Are the judges..
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Actually, Prenda IS pretty clearly dead...
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Mike, Mike...
I think that about covers THAT asshole's contribution.
Now, for mine...
THANKS, I was starting to get the Lack-o'-Prenda shakes...
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WE need a debate on LLC
In my understanding..
LLC was designated for Startup and small companies.
It was to lend protection to them.
It was NOT for larger companies as they had enough money to protect themselves.
Why was this changed, and when?
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May Be a Big Mistake
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Zombie won't die
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast"
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Finally!
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Not so much as a wrist slapping
So why not keep on making money the same way they have been? Just because they are remaining silent to not incriminate themselves doesn't mean they are doing anything criminal. Right???
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