MPAA is at it again...

Written by Brett Thomas

July 26, 2006 | 15:44

Tags: #back #court #dvd #fight #mpaa #piracy #shawn #sue #the

Companies: #bittorrent

Meet Shawn Hogan. He's your average 30-something computer programmer, probably enjoys walks in the park, candlelit dinners, and whatnot. He also likes the movie Meet the Fockers, and bought it on DVD.

So imagine his surprise when his phone rang, and a lawyer on the other end said the MPAA were sueing him for downloading the movie on BitTorrent. Not only did he deny the claim, but even offered to show them the DVD he had purchased, which he reasoned would illustrate how little sense it made to download the movie.

The MPAA kindly told him that they'd be happy to settle out of court for $2,500 USD, and Mr. Hogan kindly told them he'd see them in court. He will actually be one of the first to fight back, as many have bowed out under pressure: the RIAA or MPAA settlements out of court are conveniently way less than the legal fees needed to fight the agencies.

Unfortunately for the MPAA, they tangled with the wrong person. Shawn Hogan is a self-made millionaire, having developed his way right into being CEO of his own Digital Point Solutions, a company that produces backend business solutions for ISPs (among other things). Though he expects legal fees to be well near $100,000 USD, he says it's a small price to pay for standing up against these companies.

"They're completely abusing the system. I would spend well into the millions on this," said Hogan.

It is expected that the case will have some sort of verdict next summer, as the MPAA have no interest in backing down, either.

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