The MPAA is suing a man because of what his grandson did.  Not because of what he did.  Apparently, a year ago, the grandson downloaded 4 movies from one of the file sharing services.  As the story is told, he then deleted them.  He was curious.

Now the MPAA, after trying to blackmail the man, is suing him for $600,000 in damages!  For 4 copies of movies never viewed, and that no longer exist!  This is so stupid as to be ludicrous!  First off, while I don't object to them going after pirates, unless they can produce some evidence that they actually suffered anywhere that amount of money in damages, I think they should be charged with Fraud!

Even given that the grandson did the deed, how does that make the man liable?  Last I checked, at most he is an accessory.  But they are not throwing people in jail for the murders their children commit!

This whole thing, like their RIAA counterpart just reeks of gestapo like tactics.  Where you are no longer innocent until proven guilty, rather you are guilty until they can extort money out of you!

If this man had downloaded the movies, burned them to DVD and then proceeded to sell said copies, I can see a lawsuit, and depending upon the number of copies sold, perhaps a 6 figure one.  But as they have no evidence to suggest that the movies were ever used, viewed or copied once downloaded, their extortion is just plain outrageous.

Fine, the boy downloaded 4 movies.  Nail him for the cost of 4 movies (about $100 in First run Mint condition).  That is all they are entitled to, and all they should be suing him for.  But they figure they can blackmail him into paying 40 times that by the weight of their financial power behind them.  Something most people cannot afford.

I don't pirate movies or songs.  And I am going to be damned if I am going to support a gestapo outfit that uses extortion and blackmail to terrorize people.  I think we need to Chuck out the DCMA and rewrite it.  And pull the teeth out of these hell hounds.