UK Legal Advice - Help Needed - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Arc101 · 03-23-2007, 11:24 AM

Hi

I have received a letter from Davenport Lyons saying I downloaded a game in 2006. They want £350 from me in 14 days or they will take me to court. A lot of these letters seem to have been sent out. Should I settle, or is this a scam and they have no intention of taking people to court, and are just hoping that people give them the money out of fear. Also if I do pay them I am worried they will come back in a few months asking for another £350 for another file they say I have downloaded.

Any advice would be helpful.

Halx · 03-23-2007, 11:55 AM

Well... did you?

Don't answer that, of course.

If you didn't don't bother with it. Companies do this all the time. They buy licenses to things and then charge people retroactively for using them. Or they just try to extort money from the gullible. Seems lame. I mean, what game is worth that much?

Arc101 · 03-23-2007, 12:32 PM

I do know the games is crap - I have played it for all of 5 mins and would not even pay 1.99 for it.

krellor · 03-23-2007, 01:58 PM

If you did download it, and you didn't do anything to hide yourself (proxies, encryption, etc...) then you might consider settling to avoid higher costs. Also, does the letter indicate what kind of information they have on you? If it is an IP, then my advice is get a used wifi router fast, set it up as an open unsecured access point, and claim it has been up the whole time. Just don't do something stupid like by a model that wasn't available in your area at the time of the download. Also, make sure the game is not on your computer anymore. This might mean manually deleting some reg keys and directories as most games are a little sloppy when uninstalling themselves.

Basically the question is whether you want to spend the time and resources either disputing this because you didn't do it (which if is the case, then do resist because you didn't do anything wrong), or you did do it and you need to make it look like it wasn't you. The latter option is risky and time consuming. So it is your choice.

stevie667 · 03-25-2007, 10:09 AM

Do nothing, take your letter along to your local citizens advice beauru or legal office to see what they make of it.

Seems like its a scam or they're clutched at straws and fooling the gullible.

CSflim · 03-25-2007, 11:29 AM

Does 350 pounds not seem really low for an accusation of software piracy? I mean, RIAA sue people for eleventy million dollars per song downloaded. The fact that this company is asking for so little (relatively) makes me suspicious.

SilentN · 03-25-2007, 12:22 PM

You could probably go buy a used copy and use the defense that you were getting a back up for software you already owned. That might only cost you a few quid.

Arc101 · 03-26-2007, 01:53 PM

If anyone else has one of these letters, then I have found a very good thread about it:
http://groups.google.com/group/uk.le...89dbffc4930a3a

Ourcrazymodern? · 03-26-2007, 06:32 PM

If you sold it to others, these fools have a case. Otherwise, ignore them.

03-23-2007, 11:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
Arc101 Addict Location: Nottingham, England	UK Legal Advice - Help Needed Hi I have received a letter from Davenport Lyons saying I downloaded a game in 2006. They want £350 from me in 14 days or they will take me to court. A lot of these letters seem to have been sent out. Should I settle, or is this a scam and they have no intention of taking people to court, and are just hoping that people give them the money out of fear. Also if I do pay them I am worried they will come back in a few months asking for another £350 for another file they say I have downloaded. Any advice would be helpful.

03-23-2007, 11:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	Well... did you? Don't answer that, of course. If you didn't don't bother with it. Companies do this all the time. They buy licenses to things and then charge people retroactively for using them. Or they just try to extort money from the gullible. Seems lame. I mean, what game is worth that much? __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

03-25-2007, 10:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
stevie667 Too Awesome for Aardvarks Location: Angloland	Do nothing, take your letter along to your local citizens advice beauru or legal office to see what they make of it. Seems like its a scam or they're clutched at straws and fooling the gullible. __________________ Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

03-25-2007, 11:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
CSflim Sky Piercer Location: Ireland	Does 350 pounds not seem really low for an accusation of software piracy? I mean, RIAA sue people for eleventy million dollars per song downloaded. The fact that this company is asking for so little (relatively) makes me suspicious. __________________

03-26-2007, 06:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
Ourcrazymodern? still, wondering. Location: South Minneapolis, somewhere near the gorgeous gorge	If you sold it to others, these fools have a case. Otherwise, ignore them. __________________ BE JUST AND FEAR NOT

03-23-2007, 12:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
Arc101 Addict Location: Nottingham, England	I do know the games is crap - I have played it for all of 5 mins and would not even pay 1.99 for it.

03-23-2007, 01:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
krellor Upright Location: Ask if you want to know	If you did download it, and you didn't do anything to hide yourself (proxies, encryption, etc...) then you might consider settling to avoid higher costs. Also, does the letter indicate what kind of information they have on you? If it is an IP, then my advice is get a used wifi router fast, set it up as an open unsecured access point, and claim it has been up the whole time. Just don't do something stupid like by a model that wasn't available in your area at the time of the download. Also, make sure the game is not on your computer anymore. This might mean manually deleting some reg keys and directories as most games are a little sloppy when uninstalling themselves. Basically the question is whether you want to spend the time and resources either disputing this because you didn't do it (which if is the case, then do resist because you didn't do anything wrong), or you did do it and you need to make it look like it wasn't you. The latter option is risky and time consuming. So it is your choice.

03-25-2007, 12:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
SilentN Upright	You could probably go buy a used copy and use the defense that you were getting a back up for software you already owned. That might only cost you a few quid.

03-26-2007, 01:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
Arc101 Addict Location: Nottingham, England	If anyone else has one of these letters, then I have found a very good thread about it: http://groups.google.com/group/uk.le...89dbffc4930a3a