In what appears to be an escalating incursion into a user’s digital privacy, a collective of film companies continue to implore the court to compel Reddit to surrender its users’ personal details. This move is part of an ongoing piracy liability case against Internet Service Providers. Reddit, however, steadfastly resists, staunchly defending its users’ rights to anonymous speech.

  • merc@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    The film companies have singled out a Reddit user, “xBROKEx,” citing a 12-year-old comment admitting to pirating the movie The Expendables.

    Reddit counters that this attempted breach of privacy is unwarranted, given that the statute of limitations for copyright infringement is just three years.

    How ridiculous. Someone admitted / bragged / bullshitted on the Internet 12 years ago. The statute of limitations expired 9 years ago. But, the film companies are still trying to get the information on a poor xBROKEx.

    • aDuckk@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Could the selection be intentional? A silly unenforceable case to open the door for a more comprehensive invasion of privacy on platforms to make discussion and hosting discussion of piracy into a riskier endeavor?

      • AceofSpades@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        This is what I’m thinking. This is just a case of them seeing how far they can take it. Once precedent is set they can start to litigate based on a user merely mentioning that they pirated a movie.

      • subway@lemmy.fmhy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Exactly what the trick is. Once the precedent is set, they can exploit the hell out of it.

    • Photographer@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      What a ridiculous case. You can’t prove anything based on a comment made online. Defence will just be “i just said that to sound cool, I’ve never pirated anything and wouldn’t know how” probably doesn’t even need a lawyer as there’s no evidence.

      • pulverizedcoccyx@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Oh fuck that. If those type of words are spoken in court you better have a lawyer or it’s going to be twisted against you with some sort of proof that you do in fact know how to pirate stuff. Straight to jail.

        • AceofSpades@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Yup. They will use the fact that a user said they pirated a movie as a starting point. If Reddit capitulated and handed over the user info that could be used to hunt for more evidence and possibly connect them to other pirates. It would open a juicy can of worms for these bottom feeders. Good on Reddit for standing up for their users.

          • ErevanDB@lemmy.zip
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            1 year ago

            “Good on reddit for standing up for their users” I mean, you can’t abuse them for cash if they’re in jail.

    • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      even knowing it will be thrown out, the companies want to go after them. they want to hurt xBROKEx as much as they can, as an example to others that you’ll never get away with it. That they’ll hound you decades later.

      • DanNZN@thelemmy.club
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, that’s the thing. Even though xBROKEx would probably win in court, it would bankrupt them in lawyer fees.