Comment on This porn company makes millions by shaming porn consumers
BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Important context missing from the headline and opening paragraph: they’re going after BitTorrent users.
The opening makes it sound like they’re threatening their own paying customers (or maybe people that just visit the site) with exposure unless they pay “hush money”.
tabular@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I’m sorry, it’s okay because they use BitTorrent? wtf? As I recall the company argue in court than a mere IP address is enough to proceed with a lawsuit. They already try to ruin lives, this is more of the same.
BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 10 months ago
So the litigant is filling lawsuits against IP addresses or did they ask the ISP for the customers info? Not trying to take the side of “Big Porn” but I have a hard time defending something that’s clearly against the law. By all means steal porn but get a VPN or something.
tabular@lemmy.world 10 months ago
They have done both in the past. Source is Lawful Masses with Leonard French
They can fail to legally compel an ISP for customer info (or the individual paying for the service) because an IP address doesn’t specifically link to one person. At best it links to a router, in a house with a single occupant who pays the ISP. That still doesn’t guarantee the owner is the one who used the network at the time (could share internet with visiting guests, neighbors or be a victim of hacking). Often there are multiple people in the house, or it’s an apartment, or it’s freaking public access. An IP recorded from a file sharing protocol infers diddly squat but judges are not known for being adapt at computer literacy, an IP is sometimes enough for it to proceed.