According to TorrentFreak, Media Defender set up a fake video download site to entrap BitTorrent and other peer-to-peer (P2P) users as part of MediaDefender’s anti-piracy efforts. The report claims that internal Media Defender e-mails that have become public provide the details of the scheme to have people upload copyrighted content to miivi.com and then nail them for copyright infringement.
To reiterate, I do not support infringement but think the current laws are so antiquated that they need to be changed to reflect the Internet as it is instead of how RIAA and the MPAA want it to be. Now that the entertainment industry has crossed the line from suing grandparents, disabled parents, and kids for piracy, and moved to the next stage of entrapment, perhaps some enterprising litigator will find a way to bring down the entire house of cards with a class action suit or two.
Although not a trial lawyer, I’m starting to wonder if the thug tactics we’re seeing these days might trigger a civil suit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) one of these days.
Hat tip to zonk at Slashdot.org
