ACS:Law And US Copyright Group Working Together?

from the wouldn't-surprise-anyone... dept

Lots of folks have noted the similarities between the UK's ACS:Law and the US Copyright Group (or, perhaps, more accurately Dunlap, Weaver and Grubb, the law firm that appears to be behind USCG). We've pointed out multiple times that ACS:Law and its predecessor Davenport Lyons have been referred for disciplinary action and even UK politicians have called the whole thing a scam. Apparently, Andrew Crossley, who runs ACS:Law has also been sanctioned twice by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the UK.

But now Robin alerts us to the news that ACS:Law and Crossley are claiming that they're teaming up with US Copyright Group. Or, well, at least we think so. In the grammatically challenged blog post, ACS:Law's anonymous blogger calls it United Copyright Group, so we're assuming that it's a typo:

We are also working in cooperation with a newly-formed organisation, the United Copyright Group, that provides an holistic solution to illegal file sharing and provides a comprehensive set of tools designed to deter and prevent illegal file sharing. More will be written about this new phase of tackling illegal file sharing in due course.

Of course, nothing either firm does has anything whatsoever to do with preventing unauthorized file sharing. It's all about sending threatening letters and getting people to pay up. Either way, this "cooperation" may involve ACS:Law targeting folks in the US via US Copyright Group:

A new joint working relationship with US-based attorneys has opened up the North American region to our clients for identification and pursuit of illegal file sharing of their products.

With this and other operations looking to set up shop in the US, it looks like the courts may soon be flooded with questionable copyright lawsuits of this nature, almost none of which will actually go to court -- but which could freak lots of people into paying large sums of money when they probably don't need to do so. It would be nice if politicians did more than just calling this a scam and sanctioning the lawyers involved in such extortion-like practices. This sort of abuse of the court system for revenue generation should be stopped cold.

Filed Under: automated, copyright, lawsuits, pre-settlement letters
Companies: acs:law, us copyright group