A buddy of mine was issued a subpoena the other day for password sharing

[ZappaFan]

He received a mass subpoena yesterday because of what he did online. It wasn't an issue about piracy so much, like downloading movies, music, games, etc. It had to do with password sharing online. He said it was some porn web site that required you to sign up and pay so much. He managed to find a working password online with little to no effort at all. He can settle for like 4 grand or so, but I wanted to get your opinion one his situation.

What could he be charged with? Keep in mind he did not exploit the password, rather he just found the password from some site. Im not sure how much cash was needed to pay for the account, but I imagine it wouldn't be that much. However, I dont know how many times he used that password. Would it be possible he would get charged on another conviction, or would they treat it as the same?

Has anyone else experienced this? What advice would you give. I know fuck all about the laws when it comes to this.

[Ed Lister]

Those better have been the best wanks of your life because they were certainly the most expensive.

[Lauren Conrad]

Should've used a proxy.

[turboneger]

That's gonna be one funny day in court

[Ihaveafatcock]

seriously?

[TheyCallMeNothing]

Step 1: Proxy up next time
Step 2: Use UNSECURED WIFI (Not yours)


Okay.. well you probably won't get in TOO MUCH shit for this.. play it cool and be friendly and maybe you will get off light.

I wish I could see this court session...

[Ihaveafatcock]

i cant fucking belive youre actually getting charged over something like that. a LOT of people pirate/password share without proxies.
Is there something you're not saying?
terrible luck bro

[TheyCallMeNothing]

Originally Posted by Ihaveafatcock

i cant fucking belive youre actually getting charged over something like that. a LOT of people pirate/password share without proxies.
Is there something you're not saying?
terrible luck bro

Might of been a big crackdown, unless it was.. less than legal content. Most sites don't even keep track of different ip's (For password sharing crackdowns)... unless it was a MASS used account..

[1337]

[Duke Zion]

Sometimes porn will fuck you and not in a good way

[ZappaFan]

This wasnt a subpoena, but a mass subpoena. Whats the difference? The letter was pretty vague. Does this mean a large amount of people, my friend included, we're guilty of this and was recieved this notice? He lives no where near Florida, which is where this came from.

[1337]

[Duke Zion]

That is what he gets for doing that shit. There are plenty of other ways to get free porn without pissing off a company

[Ph0x]

This sounds like you are getting scammed to me.

I'd let them explain this one to the judge.

[adrieann]

That's ridiculous. I feel bad for your friend man. I've used porn passwords that weren't mine countless times, now I know to only do it through Tor or a proxy now.
I feel like it'd be worth it for him to fight it.

[1337]

[Duke Zion]

Looks like ACTA is taking effect

[SBTlauien]

The last time I used one of the passwords from an IRC chat I know of, I wondered if the porn sites would ever fight back...

Looks like they finally are.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

[DiStOrTiOn]

Originally Posted by ZappaFan

Keep in mind he did not exploit the password, rather he just found the password from some site.

The porn site probably planted that password there so they could sue people and make more money than they would selling their porn.

[Hydroponichronic]

There's no crime here. You didn't steal anything. If someone gives their password to the world, they violate their user agreement. You've done nothing but use that to your advantage. This stinks of shakedown.

[a334jv2df]

"I run a tor exit node"

/case

Seriously, 4k? I was sent a subpoena once for some stupid shit like that and it got thrown out

[hughjannis]

paying an attorney a small fee will likely keep you at bay. You can always claim to have had tons of people over, let neighbors use your wifi password, parties with tons of people staying the night (so they don't drink and drive), etc.

The thing to remember is that they hold the BURDEN OF PROOF! Not you! You don't have to prove shit, but they have to prove everything. You'll never serve time for it, but civil court is very different. It's all about the cash! OJ was set free, but found guilty of murder and ordered to pay....in civil court.

An attorney will argue in your favor better than you....they can push the DAs/ judges buttons in ways that you'll never be able to. If you're seriously concerned, call around and get a young cheap guy who can argue your rights. Even if you don't pay, you can usually settle on a much cheaper payment than you settlement later...usually half.

[Sick Boy]

Originally Posted by 1337

I don't even think it's a subpoena, it's just a stern letter from the lawyers, if I understand correctly. I'd ignore it unless it was an actual NTA served by a real process server. The MPAA and RIAA pull the same shit. They scare people into paying their settlement.

Wow, a servant? Like a butler? A chauffeur? Shine shoes?

[1337]

[DiStOrTiOn]

[Zok Jr.]

Dude just don't respond unless you are actually served, this is like a mass letter sent out by law firms trying to scare people into paying them without going through court or anything. If they actually took you to court they would have a hell of a time trying to prove exactly who it was that used their password all they have is your IP which in most peoples homes is the IP of your router which has many other devices attached to it.

DON'T RESPOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[1337]

[Zok Jr.]

Originally Posted by 1337

I posted the exact same thing. Read the threads, people.

I don't care, I do what I want.

[Snoopy]

lol, rite... a "friend"

[niggerguy]

What is this world coming to? I miss the good old days of the internet where it was a giant playground and rules and boundaries didn't exist.

[roasted]

I was thinking about this. So if he wasnt legally served, then its probably not a real subpoena. Most of us agree on that.

But how did the porn company link OP (ie, attaching his name) with his IP? That means most likely they got his ISP to disclose his info. I cant see an ISP giving customer info away with being forced to, so maybe there is some legitimacy to this threat.

The letter sounds like an offer to settle out of court, but if you dont, they may serve you a real subpoena...

[ZappaFan]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

lol, rite... a "friend"

You're my friend

[Proots]

Ignore it.

[-SpectraL]

It's a fake subpoena from sophisticated scammers who are looking to milk a cash settlement out of you. Throw it in the garbage and forget about it.

[yawanur]

Originally Posted by -SpectraL

It's a fake subpoena from sophisticated scammers who are looking to milk a cash settlement out of you. Throw it in the garbage and forget about it.

nah dude you're totally fucked, pay the ransom ASAP and hopefully it wasn't too late or someone will be paying you a "visit" soon

[temporaryuser]

Originally Posted by Sick Boy

Wow, a servant? Like a butler? A chauffeur? Shine shoes?

It's the job of the main character in Pineapple Express.

[ZappaFan]

Well, heres an update on the situation.

My friend just totally ignored it and its all good (as far as I know anyway) and he hasn't heard anything else about it. It really just seemed like a scare tactic into paying them money.

[matt23]

Originally Posted by ZappaFan

Well, heres an update on the situation.

My friend just totally ignored it and its all good (as far as I know anyway) and he hasn't heard anything else about it. It really just seemed like a scare tactic into paying them money.

just make sure he doesn't get arrested anytime soon. if it's an "official" subpoena they usually keep those things on file.