Australia Movie Pirates Set to be Sued

Almost 5,000 people who allegedly pirated the movie could be sued for up to £100,000, an equivalent of approximately Sh13 million.

In the US alleged pirates were told they would be pursued for damages of up to $150,000 (£100,000) unless they paid $7,000 (£4,700) to settle.

"It's a good outcome. We got the result we were seeking," said Prosecuting lawyer Michael Bradley.

The judge said that any letters sent to the alleged illegal sharers and downloaders must be seen by him first to prevent "speculative invoicing" similar to that seen in the US case.

"Whether speculative invoicing is a lawful practice in Australia is not necessarily an easy matter to assess," said Justice Nye Perram.

To uncover the alleged pirates, German-based pirate-hunting firm Maverick Eye UG was hired.

Investigators joined torrent "swarms" that were sharing the movie and logged the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of those who distributed the movie without authorization.

The judge further ordered that the identities of those accused are protected.

The details handed over will include names, email addresses and home addresses of the individuals concerned.

The legal team acting on behalf of Voltage Pictures said the company would not sue or attempt settlement with an autistic child, people who were handicapped, welfare recipients, or people who have mental health issues.

By Musalia Wycliffe

Source: Sky News