Legal loggerheads
Another law firm has signalled it is ready to face the music and take ACS:Law's place in chasing down file sharers despite the difficulties of getting and protecting alleged pirates' data.
According to the BBC, law firm Gallant Macmillan will go to the High Court on 4 October in a bid to get hold of the personal details of hundreds of PlusNet users.
However, they might have a harder time persuading ISPs to hand over details than before as most have vowed to take a tougher stance on giving up their customers' details, after the ACS:Law debacle.
Simon Gallant told the BBC he had ‘no problem' chasing legal claims and is going to court to get hold of a list of PlusNet users alleged to have illegally downloaded and shared music from the Ministry of Sound label.
"I am aware this type of work is contentious and we have done a great deal of due diligence and are aware of all the concerns people have raised," he reportedly said.
However, it is thought the attack on ACS:Law this week by users from 4chan, where details of thousands of alleged pirates were posted to the web, as well as the way the firm held users' details has undermined the way such piracy matters are currently dealt with.
A PlusNet spokesperson told the BBC: "It's in everyone's interests to restore confidence in this process so that broadband users are safeguarded and we are determined to do this. We are actively reviewing our approach to these disclosure requests to achieve this objective and this will inform our approach to Monday's hearing."
Gallant reportedly said that ‘nothing has changed' and is going ahead with the application. Just like ACS:Law, Gallant is believed to send out letters to users suspected to piracy asking them to sign an undertaking not to download or share material again and cough up ‘compensation and costs' of £350.
"I don't know what percentage of people are going to compromise and pay the compensation. But we are going to have to bring cases to court, because it would be quite wrong to send out hundreds of letters without following through," he reportedly said.
