Saper Law Torrent Defense Lawyers Defend BitTorrent Copyright Lawsuits Brought by Hunter Killer Productions

How It Works

BitTorrent is what is known as a Peer-to-Peer network: it operates by having users download parts of the film and then upload those parts when they have been watched. This type of transmission may be legal if the film has been purchased and the production company receives appropriate royalties; however, Hunter Killer Productions alleges that the copies of Hunter Killer that are on BitTorrent are pirated (i.e., stolen) copies. This means that users who share the film and/or have copies of the film on their computer may be liable for copyright infringement, regardless of whether the individual intended to share the film or knew exactly how BitTorrent worked.

In order to identify the locations of the allegedly stolen films, Hunter Killer Productions uses a geo-location software to identify which IP addresses contain these films. IP addresses are the unique tag that identifies any computer that uses the Internet to communicate over a network. Once the IP addresses have been identified, Hunter Killer Productions and their lawyers file copyright infringement lawsuits against “John Does,” or the unknown people behind the IP addresses.

In order to identify the “John Does,” Hunter Killer Production’s lawyers obtain leave to serve subpoenas to be issued to Internet Service Providers (ISPs; i.e., Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner) for the names and addresses of the individuals corresponding to the IP addresses. After the subpoena is received, the ISP will contact the applicable subscriber(s) that the subscriber’s information has been requested. If the subscriber fails to take action, the ISP will then authorize the release of the appropriate subscriber’s information to Hunter Killer Productions.