0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
TorrentSpy has filed a lawsuit against the MPAA. The lawsuit filed by TorrentSpy’s parent company Valence Media along with employees Justin Bunnell, Forrest Parker, Wes Parker, claims the MPAA unlawfully obtained information about the inner workings of TorrentSpy.com. TorrentSpy.com is a BitTorrent search engine the MPAA accuses of facilitating online piracy. The MPAA sued TorrentSpy.com on February 23, 2006, claiming monetary damages due to piracy.Specifically, the complaint makes the bold accusation that MPAA Vice President and Director, Legal Affairs, Worldwide Anti-Piracy Dean Garfield single handedly approached an ex-associate of the plaintiff’s in June 2005. According to the complaint, the ex-associate was offered $15,000 to obtain critical information the MPAA would need to solidify their case against TorrentSpy.com and its associates.The complaint further alleges that Dean Garfield, on behalf of the MPAA, regarding the information that he requested, "We don't care how you get it." TorrentSpy’s lawyer also states the MPAA would protect the ex-associate from any liability from obtaining the information.Additionally, the complaint states the ex-associate took the MPAA up on its offer and managed to seize several important documents.
A month after accusing the Motion Picture Association of America of conspiring to commit data theft, the operators of a file search engine presented more details regarding the alleged relationship between the MPAA and a man who admits hacking the small company's network. Valence Media, the parent company of Torrentspy.com, charges that the MPAA paid the Canadian resident $15,000 for information on Torrentspy and its executives, according to documents filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. "I contacted (the MPAA) and offered to provide it information regarding (Torrentspy.com founder) Justin Bunnell and Torrentspy," according to a signed statement by Robert Anderson, the man identified elsewhere in the filing as a "hacker." Among the claims by Valence Media is that as part of its attempt to gather information on Torrentspy, the MPAA hired private investigators to comb the trash cans of Torrentspy executives. Valence Media obtained this information from Anderson, who for undisclosed reasons has agreed to help the company against the Hollywood industry group, according to copy of the suit obtained by CNET News.com. Valence Media has asked a judge to order the MPAA to turn over the information taken by Anderson and to identify anyone that the association may have shared it with.Valence Media's latest filing, which asks for unspecified damages, comes after the company and the MPAA met over a 10-day period to discuss turning over whatever Anderson had provided the trade association, according to the lawsuit. The talks were unsuccessful, Rothken said. It's unclear what prompted Anderson to cooperate with Torrentspy and risk possible criminal prosecution. "The only person that would know the precise answer to that is him," Rothken said. "We believe that he broke the law in a serious manner...we're encouraged that after making a big mistake he's now mitigating his wrongdoing by providing information about things he did so we can take remedial action against the MPAA."
Among the claims by Valence Media is that as part of its attempt to gather information on Torrentspy, the MPAA hired private investigators to comb the trash cans of Torrentspy executives.
