Judge Refers Prenda Copyright Trolls To Criminal Investigators

A reader tipped us to news that the infamous copyright trolls Prenda Law are in a bit of trouble with the law. Today, U.S. District Court judge Otis Wright issued sanctions against Prenda. He recommends that the lawyers involved be disbarred and fined, granted court and lawyer fees to the defendants (doubled for punishment), and has referred them for criminal prosecution. Among the findings of fact are that they set up dozens of shell companies to disguise the true owners, actually committed identity theft, dodged taxes on settlement money, lied to the court, and abused the court by setting settlements on flimsy charges just below the cost of a defense.

Judge has a great sense of humour/justice

[Aaron B Lingwood]

From TFA:

"... they offer to settle—for a sum calculated to be just below the cost of a bare-bones defense."

Judge Wright then awards costs plus punitive damages totalling $81,319.72 to the victims, saying that the sum

"is calculated to be just below the cost of an effective appeal"

Re:Judge has a great sense of humour/justice

[Angeret]

Yeah, really! An honest judge with a liking for sci-fi and a sense of humour. America is done for, done for I tell you!!!

Re:"Wriiiiiiighhht!"

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure he would have used Star Wars quotes instead if they actually had any intellectualism behind them, instead of being fancy ways of saying "Zap! Powie!".

I'm sure that you could have put a little effort in to it and come up with a few very relevant Chewbacca quotes.

Re:The fact that..

[PopeRatzo]

he is effectively telling the American Bar association to strike these guys off, take them to a quiet spot, order them to dig a ditch and climb in, ready for the ditch to be filled in.

From which ditch they will run their congressional campaigns.