Crackdown on the pirates..argh!
Codemasters, publisher of titles such as Clive Barker's Jericho and Overlord, is targeting videogame pirates and demanding cash from those who have been illegally downloading their titles through bittorents and peer-to-peer programs.London-based lawyers Davenport Lyons has been employed to help Codemasters to detect pirates using their P2P-tracking software, which they claim can accurately trace IP addresses of those involved in the illegal downloading of Colin McRae: Dirt.
"Letters were written to a number of persons alleged to have illegally file shared or distributed Colin McRae: DiRT on peer-to-peer networks," said a spokesperson of the company.
The Register is reporting that 'people have been hit with multiple demands for hundreds of pounds in settlement, or face a lengthy legal battle,' but one recipient has thrown doubts on whether the IP-tracking software used is indeed accurate.
"I have received a letter... saying i have downloaded a file called Colin McRae Dirt for the Xbox 360 and they want me to pay £511 to them," read an email sent to the Register by a disgruntled recipient.
"Having checked my computer to my knowledge I have not downloaded any such file and do not have it on my computer. They sent me 5 letters all about the same game but with different IP addresses and different times. I'm not sure what to do they want a response in 14 days and they want me to sign saying I did it and won't do it again." he concluded.
Davenport Lyons are no strangers to investigating videogame fraud and earlier this year they targeted 500 people who they claim had illegally uploaded ‘Dream Pinball 3D’. A number of those people contacted claimed that they hadn't illegally downloaded anything, but paid up anyway because they didn't want to be dragged through court. Yeah, that's what I would have done as well, if I was guilty.
Are you an innocent party who has received an email from Davenport Lyons? Let us know in the forums.
Source :: The Register
