ACS:Law copyright file sharing claims, Gallant Macmillan - and probably some others along the way...

[TudorBlue]

Has anyone who received a letter from ACS LAW regarding illegal file sharing received any further letters? I ask because I have sent ACS LAW a letter denying anyt wrong doing but have yet to receive a further reply.

[8of9]

Was there any outcome to the investigation of ACS Law by the SRA? I seem to recall the result being due at the end of July.

 

THERES AN OUTCOME NOW

 

http://www.slyck.com/story2028_FileSharing_Lawyer_Andrew_Crossely_to_Face_Disciplinary_Tribunal

Edited August 24, 2010 by citizenB
replaced non working link

[blashey]

just back off holiday. great news about the tribunal!!! every dog has it's day...

 

 

what tribunal ???????????

[Jd 1984]

Has anyone who received a letter from ACS LAW regarding illegal file sharing received any further letters? I ask because I have sent ACS LAW a letter denying anyt wrong doing but have yet to receive a further reply.

 

Yes I sent a lod to acs law and received the 2nd 'you can't use a template' letter.

 

Does anyone know how they calculate the amount? I ask because I phoned acs law and he said it was £1 for everyone who got the file from your computer, I have seen lots of people who have allegedly downloaded the same track as me and are being charged exactly the same amount.

[BARFLY]

The SRA have recommended he face a disciplinary tribunal. It's the result of their year long investigation. It's predicted he'll face the tribunal late 2011....

[floppydog]

Great News !!!........What is regretful is that he will still be able to continue his current line of letters until then.

[daylight_robbery]

RESULT!!

 

Hopefully they will make an example of ACS and give some of the suffering they have caused back to them!

 

I spoke with the SRA complaints service yesterday as follow up to my initial complaint about GM, they said that there is a steady flow of complaints coming in about them also, with any luck they will be next!

[cerberusalert]

THERES AN OUTCOME NOW

 

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/08/file-sharing-solicitor-to-face-disciplinary-body-225840

 

For some unknown reason Which have apparently removed that page, yet this still shows up on google search for the above url.

File sharing solicitor to face disciplinary body - Which? News

23 Aug 2010 ... The Solicitors Regulation Authority is referring Andrew Crossley of ACS Law Solicitors to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after Which? ...

http://www.which.co.uk/.../file-sharing-solicitor-to-face-disciplinary-body-225840

 

There's this tho' http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/03/file-sharing-solicitors-under-investigation-205433

[cerberusalert]

For a fuller report there's this too http://www.slyck.com/story2028_FileSharing_Lawyer_Andrew_Crossely_to_Face_Disciplinary_Tribunal

[BARFLY]

ACS are free to continue their campaign of fear. They have not been found guilty of misconduct. Only referred to the tribunal.

 

However, I wonder if the fact that they have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal could be used in LOD. i.e. i note that you have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for alleged misconduct in these very matters and therefore will not correspond with you further until the results of the tribunal have been made public...

 

let's see, it's Tuesday today....that'll be.....about a year, or year and a half?

 

Seriously, if he is threatening court proceedings on a matter for which he has been referred to tribunal, wouldn't the proceedings be stayed until those results were known?

Edited August 24, 2010 by BARFLY

[BARFLY]

No mention on the ACS website! HaHa!

 

Out of interest, are solicitors required to inform the public when they have been referred to the SOLICITORS DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL?

 

Maybe Watchdog and the OneShow will update the viewers on events!

[BARFLY]

Dear acs law

 

i note that you have been referred to the solicitors disciplinary tribunal regarding this matter. in the light of this information i will not correspond further until the tribunal has concluded. should you continue threaten legal action i will consider your actions to be vexatious and report the matter to the SRA...

 

something along those lines. i'm sure someone more erudite will be along shortly.

[citizenB]

Just print out the press report and attach it to a short covering letter

[BARFLY]

i wonder if he'll now use the thousands of bt names he must have recently aquired? probably. make hay while the sun shines.

 

regarding the npo's, anyone know whether he can sell on the names he has aquired to another solicitor? now that he's aboard a sinking ship. surely not.

 

ISPS NEED NO OTHER REASON THAN THIS TO CONTEST FURTHER NPOS FOR ACS! THE ONLY REASON THEY WOULD NOT, WOULD BE TO MAKE MONEY FROM PROVIDING THE DETAILS. LIKE THE MUCH HERALDED PLUSNET WHO SUBSEQUENTLY LET GREED GET IN THE WAY OF RIGHT

[8of9]

For some unknown reason Which have apparently removed that page, yet this still shows up on google search for the above url.

 

There's this tho' http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/03/file-sharing-solicitors-under-investigation-205433

 

Looks like its back now ????

 

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/08/file-sharing-solicitor-to-face-disciplinary-body-225840

[8of9]

Maybe Sky and the other ISP's who rolled over and co-operated with ACS Law should be informed of this action being taken against their 'bedfellow', as I doubt Mr Crossley will tell them.

After Davenport Lyons and now ACS Law perhaps they will choose who they jump into bed with a bit more carefully in the future

Edited August 24, 2010 by 8of9
corrected

[BARFLY]

Oh, yes! It's all over the web! Even the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/seealso/2010/08/tech_brief_73.html

 

:D:D:D

[BARFLY]

However, I wonder if the fact that they have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal could be used in LOD. i.e. i note that you have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for alleged misconduct in these very matters and therefore will not correspond with you further until the results of the tribunal have been made public...

 

let's see, it's Tuesday today....that'll be.....about a year, or year and a half?

 

Seriously, if he is threatening court proceedings on a matter for which he has been referred to tribunal, wouldn't the proceedings be stayed until those results were known?

 

 

Anyone?

[8of9]

The threat of the SDT and the bad publicity which accompanied it was enough for Davenport Lyons to give up and pass the baton to ACS Law. Whether this will be enough for ACS Law to give up remains to be seen. Will the same fate befall Gallant McMillan? Chances are that it will.

 

Surely the SRA can see a pattern here... Tilly Bailey Irvine, Davenport Lyons, ACS Law, Gallant McMillan ....

All complaints are about the same thing. How many more will have joined the fray before the SDT hearings.

The regulating bodies should do something NOW.

 

What will be interesting to see is if any further letters are sent out by ACS Law, and if GM's strategy changes.

[baffledbygm]

Hi people, just to let you know I got a letter from my MP as follows-

 

"Thankyou for your email regarding the threatened action by Gallant Macmillan. I must point out at the outset that this letter cannot in any way be taken as legal advice.

 

I believe that this is a matter of "speculative invoicing", for which a number of firms are under investigation by the SRA. In the enclosed letter I have drawn your concerns to the attention of the SRA who should be in touch with you shortly.

 

I have been contacted by a number of people regarding this practice and it is something that I find unacceptable. I will be paying close attention to the investigation done by the SRA to this company and others like it, and making sure that this practice is properly regulated.

 

If you feel you need legal advice on the matter do contact you local citizen's advice bureau.

 

Thank you for drawing your concerns to my attention."

 

And the letter that was sent to the SRA on my behalf-

 

"Further to my letter dated *** June 2010 regarding the practice of law firm "ACS:Law", I have recieved an identical complaint about the law firm "Gallant Macmillan". A constituent, **********, of ********** had been sent a standard letter of claim for the sum of £350 for an illegally downloaded album of which **** has no knowledge.

 

As outlined in my prior letter, I am concerned about the widespread impact of these "speculative invoices" and the targetting of individuals. I would appreciate it if you could inform me whether Gallant Macmillan are the subject of an investigation by the SRA."

 

Anyone reading this thread, if you haven't done so already please contact your MPs about this. The ball is rolling now. It needs to keep going. Thankyou for all your advice as well.

[Shaggy123]

Got them now

Digital File Check is a free software programme that helps people clean-up their computers and avoid illegal file-sharing. Music fans who want to be safe and legal on the Internet will be able to stop their computer being used for illegal file-swapping of copyright music and movies.

 

And I thought that they were only in it for the money

 

.......then they use the list of IP addresses theyve harvested from people downloading the tool and hammer them too?

[lostinspace333]

so ACS is under investigation after 1.5 years ,that is good news.

 

How long will this take for the SRA to come to a conclusion and could this have a ripple effect on other companies such as gallant macmillan and put an end to this once and for all.

[8of9]

so ACS is under investigation after 1.5 years ,that is good news.

 

How long will this take for the SRA to come to a conclusion and could this have a ripple effect on other companies such as gallant macmillan and put an end to this once and for all.

 

 

http://www.solicitorsjournal.com/story.asp?sectioncode=2&storycode=16835&c=1&eclipse_action=getsession

[johnsmith999]

Thank you for your e-mail of 06 August,

 

I can certainly understand your frustration with the time this investigation has taken. Please accept my assurance that this time has been well spent.

I am pleased to inform you that;

 

On 18 August 2010 an Authorised Officer at the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) decided to refer the conduct of Mr Crossley to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).

 

Further details about the SDT can be found on our website at:

http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/enforcement/intervention-tribunal/solicitors-disciplinary-tribunal.page.

This link explains what will happen during the disciplinary proceedings.

 

The matter has now been referred to our Legal Department who will instruct solicitors to act for the SRA in connection with the disciplinary proceedings.

 

I am sure the many letters of complaint we have received will be invaluable during Mr Crossley’s hearing.

I trust that this information will allay some of your concern. However, if you have any further queries which you would like to discuss, please contact us by telephone on 0870 606 2555. Our lines are open 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday. If you are calling from overseas please use +44 (0) 1527 504450. Please note calls may be monitored/recorded for training purposes. Alternatively you can send an e-mail to [email protected].

Thank you for contacting the SRA.

Sincerely

James Grubb

Team Co-ordinator

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

Phone: 0870 606 2555

Int: +44 (0) 1527 504450

Fax: 0207 320 5964

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.sra.org.uk

'The SRA is transforming its approach to regulation. Outcomes-focused regulation will concentrate on the quality of outcomes for clients, with a simplified rulebook and more flexibility for firms. Respond to our consultations, including the new draft Handbook, at www.sra.org.uk/freedominpractice Let us know what you think

 

This was the letter i received from the SRA, it appears to suggest that the whole investigation into ACS Law is complete, including my complaints. Therefore the case was not just about Which, but about all the many hundreds of people who complained, I hope the wheels of justice turn a little quicker than they are doing for the "Davenport-Lyons two"!

[Mattyhatty]

This is all positive good news.

 

those who haven't sent a letter of complaint to the SRA should spend 5-10mins of their time doing so.