More
than 150 people have approached consumer publication Which? Computing
claiming to have been wrongly targeted in crackdowns on illegal file-sharing.
ACS:Law has sent thousands of letters to people claiming they have
illegally downloaded material and offers them a chance to settle by
paying around £500.
Which? says it has been approached by some - including a 78 year-old
accused of downloading pornography - who have no knowledge of the
alleged offence.
ACS:Law claimed its methods were accurate and said that it would send
more letters soon.
However, since the latest letters were sent two weeks ago, ten new
people have come forward saying they have been wrongly accused. One told
Which?: My 78 year-old father yesterday received a letter from ACS
Law demanding £500 for a porn file he is alleged to have downloaded. He
doesn't even know what file-sharing or BitTorrent is so has certainly
not done this himself or given anyone else permission to use his
computer to do such a thing.
Which? Computing is concerned that too many innocent people are being
wrongly accused. Innocent consumers are being threatened with legal
action for copyright infringements they not only haven't committed, but
wouldn't know how to commit, said Matt Bath, technology editor of
Which? Many will be frightened into paying up rather than facing the
stress of a court battle, he added.
He advised people who believe they have been wrongly targeted to
rigorously deny it and, if possible, provide physical evidence of where
they were when the infringement took place.
ACS:Law is currently under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation
Authority.
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