[softball]

Its gotta come someday. It is cutting deeply into independent film profits and the quality of films lately has been dropping. I just got this from my union today...who are also heavily involved in this battle....sorry about the smileys...I have no idea where they came from.

Hollywood Reporter: >>
'Hurt Locker' producers about to sue an army of pirates >>
>>
The war against movie piracy is getting downright explosive. We've learned that the producers >>
of the Oscar-winning "The Hurt Locker" are preparing a massive lawsuit against thousands of >>
individuals who pirated the film online. The case could be filed as soon as tomorrow. >>
>>
Voltage Pictures, the banner behind the best picture winner, has signed up with the U.S. >>
Copyright Group, the Washington D.C.-based venture that, as we first reported in March, has >>
begun a litigation campaign targeting tens of thousands of BitTorrent users. >>
>>
According to Thomas Dunlap, a lawyer at the firm, the multi-million dollar copyright infringement >>
lawsuit should be filed this week. He declines to say exactly how many individuals will be >>
targeted, but expect the number to be in the tens of thousands, if not more. "Locker" first leaked >>
onto the web more than five months before its U.S. release and was a hot item in P2P circles >>
after it won six Oscars in March. Despite the accolades, the film grossed only about $16 million >>
in the U.S. >>
>>
The U.S. Copyright Group has already filed lawsuits over about 10 other films, including Uwe >>
Boll's "Far Cry," "Call of the Wild 3D" and "Uncross the Stars." Reports of those suits raised >>
alarms in some circles, whereas others joked that the movie industry was merely suing those >>
with poor taste. >>
>>
"You can guess that relative to the films we've pursued already, the order of magnitude is much >>
higher" with "Hurt Locker," says Dunlap, adding that the lawsuit will also cover other Voltage >>
pictures such as "Personal Effects," starring Ashton Kutcher. >>
>>
If the addition of "Locker" to this litigation campaign could shake things up, so too could news >>
about cooperation by ISPs in this escalating fight. >>
>>
After filing the lawsuits, the plaintiffs must subpoena ISP records in an effort to match IP >>
addresses with illicit behavior on BitTorrent. >>
>>
According to lawyers at Dunlap's firm, 75 percent of ISPs have cooperated fully. Those that >>
have resisted are mostly doing so, they say, because of the amount of work involved in handing >>
over thousands of names. But the clock may be ticking. For example, in the lawsuit over "Far >>
Cry," Comcast has until next Wednesday to file motions to quash subpoenas. (Here's the >>
stipulation by the parties.) By the end of next week, thousands of Comcast subscribers could >>
be turned over. >>
>>
Of the some 50,000 individuals who have been sued thus far, only three have tried to quash the >>
>>
subpoena. In one instance, a Georgia man tried to invoke the state's shield law protecting >>
journalists from having to disclose their sources. The judge denied the motion. In another >>
instance, a woman successfully got a court to throw out the subpoena because her IP address >>
wasn't listed in the original complaint. Unfortunately for her, the complaint was then amended. >>
>>
After unmasking individuals who have illegally downloaded films, the U.S. Copyright Group then >>
sends a settlement offer. >>
>>
Lawyers at the firm are seeing some returns on the first two lawsuits filed back in January. >>
About 40 percent have settled, according to the U.S. Copyright Group. Those who haven't >>
settled will be sent another round of settlement offers, and the group promises to eventually >>
serve lawsuits on these individuals. >>
>>
Since we first broke news about the litigation campaign, Dunlap says he's been besieged by e->>
mails from 20 to 30 independent film groups that have expressed frustration about rampant >>
piracy and interest in joining up. The firm plans to send people to this month's Festival de >>
Cannes, where they've already arranged meetings with a number of other film producers to >>
discuss further lawsuits.