Ghost of 'ACS:Law' threatens alleged Greek filesharers
'Likely to be imposter' posing as bankrupt pirate-taker
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Controversial law firm ACS:Law – or someone posing as the firm – has returned with threats to sue alleged filesharers, this time outside the UK.
Andrew Crossley, the sole principal behind ACS:Law, was declared bankrupt back in May. The bankruptcy filing occurred shortly after a UK case against alleged filesharers who had refused to pay up in response to legal threats from his firm was dismissed. Ralli Solicitors – a firm representing some of the 26 people accused of filesharing in the UK court case – is now advising a client based in Greece who is at the receiving end of legal nastygrams supposedly from ACS:Law, the BBC reports.
The email messages claim that the recipient has infringed copyright of DigiProtect Ltd and request payment of £1,665 – payable to ACS:Law – to prevent a threatened court action under the UK Copyrights, Design and Patents Act. The address for payment is adjacent to ACS:Law's former London offices.
The basic approach is near identical to previous actions in the UK by ACS:Law – which were heavily criticised by consumer group Which? and assorted judges, and which remain the subject of a Solicitors' Regulation Authority disciplinary action.
Crossley used IP addresses obtained from ISPs by copyright owners to accuse UK-based individuals of illegal filesharing. ACS:Law partnered with technology firms DigiProtect and MediaCAT in identifying supposed filesharers.
Alleged miscreants were offered the chance to settle out of court by paying £500 or else face threatened court action.
Many of those accused said they were innocent. Crossley eventually brought the cases of 26 people to court before trying to have the case withdrawn, citing personal threats. Judge Colin Birss QC rejected this application, accusing Crossley of trying to avoid judicial scrutiny. The case was ultimately dismissed with legal costs awarded against Crossley. Soon after, ACS:Law was wound up.
Against this background, it seems the new round of threatening emails are likely to be the work of an imposter.
Ralli solicitor Michael Forrester told the BBC: "It is unclear how the firm ACS:Law is continuing to operate, despite purporting to close earlier this year and the sole principal recently being made bankrupt. We have advised clients that we may be dealing with an imposter." ®
COMMENTS
Hello
Dear Sir,
I decided to write to you because you a honest person and one with integrity. I am sole proprietor Andrew Crossley and I was fighting internet pirates to protect Britain singers and movie stars but pirates still won and made my company bankrupt.
I managed to stash away a fortune of GBP 20,000,000.00 to which pirates never found. I now need to move this money to a new reliable bank account. I chose you, good Sir, as my contacts indicated you honest and good person and I will give to you 40% of the lumpsum and another 10% to charity which you like.
Please send me now your legalised authenticated letter by secure electronic transmission with your bank account number, IBAN, name and phone of your bank manager, your name and full authenticated living address, your date of birth, your mother maiden name and your dog name.
Your sincerely,
Mr Andrew Crossley
Sole proprietor
Because
Because he's a lawyer and the whole industry is run as an old boys club.
can somebody explain to me
why Andrew Crossley isn't in jail?
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