Another Court Tells Prenda To Pay Up On Attorneys Fees

from the adding-up dept

It looks like the bill for Prenda Law is going up. Yet another court has now awarded attorneys' fees, telling "AF Holdings" (one of Prenda's shell companies) to pay $9,425. Of course, since Prenda still tries to deny that it controls AF Holdings, I'm sure they'll try to avoid paying up. It would be extra amusing if they suggested Alan Cooper should pay up, since that's the name that was signed on various AF Holdings' filings, but which many people believe was really signed by John Steele. Of course, since that whole "faking the name" thing flopped, it's now been Mark Lutz -- former paralegal/lackey of John Steele -- who has been "named" as the boss of AF Holdings. So, it sounds like Lutz should pay this one... Now the question is how long does it take Lutz to realize that Steele, Hansmeier and Duffy will probably leave him hanging out to dry as well?
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Filed Under: alan cooper, john steele, mark lutz, nick ranallo, paul duffy, paul hansmeier, prenda
Companies: af holdings, prenda, prenda law


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  • icon
    DannyB (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 1:53pm

    What happens when the musical chairs stop?

    Oh the fun of musical chairs. Or hot potato.

    Who is Prenda?
    Who owns Ingenuity123?
    Who owns AFHoldings?
    Who is the actual plaintiff?
    Who owns the copyright?
    Who represents who?
    Who controls what?
    Who gets paid how much?

    Oh, it's not me, your honor! It's someone else. I just show up in court, or collect checks, but I don't make any decisions. I take orders from someone else who also is not a decision maker. Ultimately this all happens by itself. There is no top. There is nobody who makes decisions, controls or is responsible for all of this. While the Alan Cooper signature may be a forgery to give us the ability to later claim fraudulent copyright transfer, nobody actually signed it. And that Salt Marsh thing? He signs things, but the documents are quantum -- they do not exist when a court wants to see them.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      GeneralEmergency (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 2:36pm

      Re: What happens when the musical chairs stop?

      .

      Next we'll be told that it's not Alan Cooper or Salt Marsh, but one Mobius Stripp.

      .

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Pragmatic, 28 May 2013 @ 5:55am

        Re: Re: What happens when the musical chairs stop?

        Or Macavity the Mystery Cat. It could happen.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Jessie (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 2:23pm

    I can see it now:

    "I'm sorry, AF Holdings just filed for bankruptcy right after selling off our copyrights to our other....I mean another company."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 24 May 2013 @ 4:51pm

      That would be a good thing

      What matters is that their funds and assets get taken. Take all their companies too. Even if it requires multiple fines/charges etc...
      Then go in for the removal of their jobs.
      The victims need that justice.


      AF Holdings going bankrupt would be a win. The noose tightens and there are loses.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        That One Guy (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 5:19pm

        Re: That would be a good thing

        AF Holdings doesn't matter in the slightest, as it's just another shell company they used to justify their actions, the only thing that matters is going after the people behind the companies, the ones running things.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 24 May 2013 @ 5:32pm

          Re: Re: That would be a good thing

          Well, if AF Holdings went bankrupt, they'd lose all of their assets - including the copyrights. That would have to have at least SOME impact on the players.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Mr. Applegate, 24 May 2013 @ 6:08pm

            Re: Re: Re: That would be a good thing

            If I understand things correctly the only asset(s) AF Holdings has is copyright to a porn or two. I am certain all the money they had was paid in 'fees' to the attorneys and other companies.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            That One Guy (profile), 25 May 2013 @ 1:19am

            Re: Re: Re: That would be a good thing

            In which case they would probably 'sell' any copyrights assigned to AF Holdings to yet another shell company they run. Going after the companies is pointless, it's the people that need dealt with.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 May 2013 @ 2:31pm

    Only a days work

    I think it was John who claimed to be making 10k per day from this scheme.
    If that is true he ought to just pay this before people look deeper into this. ....

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pixelation, 24 May 2013 @ 2:43pm

    Who's on first?

    This whole thing reminds me of Abbott and Costello, Who's on first.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Loki, 24 May 2013 @ 2:54pm

    If the DOJ spent even half the time looking into this matter as they did/do trying to strongarm DotCom, these guys would be running for their lives.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Paul, 24 May 2013 @ 3:14pm

      Re:

      I couldn't have said it better.......

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Paul, 24 May 2013 @ 3:18pm

        Re: Re:

        AND If they hounded all involved like they did to Aaron (RIP) could we look forward to a mass suicide (or is that too much to hope for)??

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Pragmatic, 28 May 2013 @ 5:58am

      Re:

      I'm sad to say it but it's very unlikely, Loki, because copyright trolls are *also* too big to jail, or something.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 May 2013 @ 3:01pm

    no sympathy for any of them. they will all eventually be put in the position of having to admit to their crimes and pay up, just as they would do to those they were performing their shake down practice on. funny how it is a completely different matter when you're on the receiving end of a court judgement, isn't it?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Anon E. Mous (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 3:56pm

    It's my opinion that Steele is the one pulling the strings for all these entities along with Hansmeier. Steele and Hansmeier went to Law School together in Minnesota and started Steele Hansmeier together.

    Lutz is a Paralegal who has worked for various Steele entities. Lutz in that brilliant Q&A with the Judge in Nyugen Case in florida ( where coincidentally Steele was present for a Prenda case...what are the odds!)

    Lutz all of a sudden after Judge Wright put forth his Order To Show Cause, becomes CEO of AF Holdings and a bunch of it's entities and Brett Gibbs becomes Lawyer of Record for AF Holdings.

    So Lutz who couldn't even answer the remotest questions about Sunlust Pictures and AF Holdings, and basic questions about who works there and claimed in the Q&A with the Judge to be just a "1099 contractor" is a mastermind able to organize Copyright Assignments and buying said copyrights and setting up LLC's and offshore trust's?

    Yeah and Elvis is alive and working at 7-11. Lutz has worked for Steele for years and was the voice on the other end of those phone calls looking for Settlements that were robo-dialed to subscribers.

    Now suddenly he is the corporate CEO master of business. Yes I doubt that. If you recall in the Deposition Of Hansmeier who appeared on the Behalf of AF Holdings (lordy, another coincidence!) couldn't name any officers of the company and that no one drew a salary every from there that he was aware.

    Who knew Mark Lutz was such a humanitarian in working for all these companies and entities for free as CEO (of course while managing to do robo-calls and demanding settlement payments)

    I wish I could make that historic rise form Debt collecting and Para-legal work to CEO. Lutz ought to give the good folks at MIT a call and relish them with his tale of how he rose from debt collector for Stelle to CEO of mnay companies, LLC's and offshore trusts.

    Truly the American dream!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    ArJayK (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 4:51pm

    Better than TV!

    This whole story is better than a TV show! Villains, heroes, courtroom drama featuring lies, half-truths, missing documents, forged signatures, not so competent lawyers, betrayals...

    Evey time I check Techdirt lately, I feel like bringing popcorn and a soda.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Matthew Cline (profile), 24 May 2013 @ 4:59pm

    So, it sounds like Lutz should pay this one...
    But that's taking food from the mouth's of Lutz's non-existent children!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 May 2013 @ 5:56pm

    horse with no name just hates it when due process is enforced.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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