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I will brush up on my german because I have read somewhere that ACS was trying to hook up with some companies in germany and I believe Mr Michael Fisher does in fact own some Geman companies!

Edited by kurvaface
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I have a recording of the first answer phone message which they cocked up...I'd love to post it up if someone can tell me how:smile:

 

(I've got it saved as a voice memo in Itunes)

 

And the official notice too...but that's not funny.

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What about adding to youtube with what ever screen picture you want and posting link. Others have done it this way.

We could do with some help from you.

PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING EVERY POUND DONATED WILL HELP US TO KEEP HELPING OTHERS

 

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thanks andy

 

yes i did recieve a letter from acs in september last year and wrote them a letter of denial and heard nothing from the until today when i recieved this letter from gcb. i will put the information in the letter on here for you to see later as i have to go to work now

 

thanks again mate

I too had exactly the same. A letter in September, and now one today off GCB LTD. In the letter it says to reply within 14 days, and you guys are saying wait......is that because you are awaiting he outcome of todays court case? And how long should we wait incase the court case drags on?

 

Thanks

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ive had the same had letter from gcb today after 3 mnths of nothing from acs have rang sra they are unable to do anything as gcb not solicitors any advice on what to do next ?

 

If you have previously sent a letter of denial, then there is nothing more to say. GCB Ltd are registered at companies house as being involved with transport via railways, so why are they getting involved in this ? This is highly dubious and should be ignored.

 

The current court case is due to reconvene on 24th January, so you might learn more about the legalities of all of this.

We could do with some help from you.

PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING EVERY POUND DONATED WILL HELP US TO KEEP HELPING OTHERS

 

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@ elzerbeth & oddball2514

 

I suspect that you don't actually need to reply since it appears that there is something VERY fishy going on with GCB Ltd. and ACS:Law. More will doubtless become clear as the sleuths here and elsewhere doggedly pursue their investigations.

 

However, if you are concerned, I would suggest that you postpone any reply until 10 days after the date of GCB's letter and then simply refer them back to your earlier replies to ACS:Law - they claim to have copies of all the relevant correspondence. Bear in mind they are hoping you will at some stage inadvertently say something acknowledging responsibility.

 

On another front, I would urge you to visit your local MP's surgery to complain about the behavior of these people and demand clarification of the law on this sort of activity (along with wheel-clamping, etc.) - I know that this is a pretty tough ask.

 

I would also urge you to phone (0303 123 1113) write to or email the Information Commissioner (Data Protection Registrar as was) - you can find full details of how to do this by Googling ico.gov.uk complaints data protection (sorry - not able to post links)

 

In the famous words of Douglas Adams- DON'T PANIC!

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Andrew Crossley, the controversial lawyer behind one-man legal outfit ACS Law, has failed to turn up for his day in court today, according to early reports from THINQ readers.

Crossley, who has been universally criticised for his tactic of attempting to frighten people into coughing up cash for downloading hard-core porn with threats of legal action, was due in court today to accuse 27 individuals of such offences on the grounds of evidence supplied by ISPs.

Our research tells us that Crossley has never successfully tried one of these cases and the only time he has ever received a ruling in favour of one of his illustrious list of clients is when the accused didn't bother to turn up.

Now it seems that Crossley has done the same. Reader Mike told us a couple of days ago that he was due in court today but that the hearing had been cancelled. "They dropped the case," he told us. "I'm now in the process of putting a complaint in with the solicitor regulating body. I want ACS closed down and fined big time." he added.

Today, however, we have had a conflicting report from reader Johnson who says suggests that Crossley failed to show in court because a member of his family has an accident. In that case, the hearings would almost certainly be reconvened at a later date. We have every sympathy for Crossley's family if one of its members has been injured, after all you can't choose your relatives, but if this turns out to be another diversionary tactic on behalf of ACS Law the company and its director should be hung out to dry.

We have also been informed that Crossley is now sending out fresh letters under the new name of CGB Ltd., having changed the name of the company at the request of his clients, no doubt in an attempt to sidestep the barrage of negative publicity which dogs the one-man bandit's every move.

Crossley uses IP information supplied by a third-party outfit to weasel court-ordered information out of ISPs, which is then used to send threatening letters to the owner of the broadband connection, in most cases accusing them of downloading highly unpleasant-sounding porn.

It has been estimated that up to 40 per cent of people receiving these letters cough up the cash to avoid embarrassment regardless of their propensity to porn or actual guilt, leading to the practice being named 'speculative invoicing'.

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Andrew Jonathan Crossley

  • Born: 1963
  • Admitted as a solicitor: 1991
  • Claims to have suffered clinical depression in 1999.
  • Claims to have suffered a stroke in January 2000, temporarily losing his sight.
  • Entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement in May 2002 - cleared in December 2005.
  • Worked from 1997 to 2003 under the style of Crossleys Solicitors, Crossways, Wanborough Lane, Cranleigh GU6 7DT
  • Was a salaried partner in a lrge provincial practice based in Crawley, Surrey
  • Established Merriman White Solicitors with one partner on August 10th 2004.
  • Merriman White were/are based at 14 Tooks Court, London, EC4A 1LB and employed about 20 staff.
  • Fined £1,000 with costs of £3,348.75 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal on March 6th 2006 for 'conduct unbenefitting a solicitor'.

Moral high ground?
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Struggling to post up this recording here:-(

 

I've been asked that if you email it to Hickster he'll probably stick it up on acs.bore

 

[email protected]

 

In fact anything relating to ACS that's not currently in the public domain would be best served by getting it to Hickster. It will be treated as confidential, but should anything need censoring/redacting I'd advise you to make your own efforts first. But if you aren't able to then at least explain in your email the parts you want withholding from publication.

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I received a letter today from GCB Ltd reguarding Infringement of Copyright ! (so did 13 other people down my road ! accused of downloading the same file)

 

I do not download movies / cds etc or used File sharing programs and never will do Banned from my house, I have 4 different computer systems here which other members of family uses & 13 enterprise class webservers all currenlty online (hosting over 350 different websites - yes I host websites for other people)

 

I phoned GCB Ltd I got a recorded message saying "if you have received a letter from GCB Ltd please disreguard it as we are no longer pursuing the matter mention in the letter"

 

They also included a print off from the BBC news website with the letter reguarding a crack down on illegal file sharing. BIG Mistake by them as they are themselfs are commiting infringement of copyright !

 

Intellectual Property

 

4. All copyright, trade marks, design rights, patents and other intellectual property rights (registered and unregistered) in and on bbc.co.uk and all content (including all applications) located on the site shall remain vested in the BBC or its licensors (which includes other users). You may not copy, reproduce, republish, disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer, download, post, broadcast, transmit, make available to the public, or otherwise use bbc.co.uk content in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use. You also agree not to adapt, alter or create a derivative work from any bbc.co.uk content except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Any other use of bbc.co.uk content requires the prior written permission of the BBC.

 

They are using the page printed from BBC news site for commercial gain !!

 

I have already been in contact with the BBC and fowarded all evidence to them, and has been confirmed as Infringement of their copyright !! There have passed the matter on to their legal department.

 

They try to swindel me, then I will hit them harder !!!

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Registration Number: Z186195X

Date Registered: 21 August 2009 Registration Expires: 20 August 2011

 

Data Controller: ANDREW JONATHAN CROSSLEY

 

Address:

ACS LAW SOLICITORS

18 HANOVER SQUARE

LONDON

W1S 1JY

Other Names:

ACS LAW SOLICITORS

This register entry describes, in very general terms, the personal data being processed by:

ANDREW JONATHAN CROSSLEY

 

This register entry contains personal data held for 4 purpose(s)

 

Purpose 1

 

Staff Administration

Purpose Description:

Appointments or removals, pay, discipline, superannuation, work management or other personnel matters in relation to the staff of the data controller.

Data subjects are:

Staff including volunteers, agents, temporary and casual workers

Relatives, guardians and associates of the data subject

Data classes are:

Personal Details

Family, Lifestyle and Social Circumstances

Education and Training Details

Employment Details

Financial Details

Racial or Ethnic Origin

Religious or Other Beliefs Of A Similar Nature

Trade Union Membership

Physical or Mental Health or Condition

Sources (S) and Disclosures (D)(1984 Act). Recipients (1998 Act):

Data subjects themselves

Relatives, guardians or other persons associated with the data subject

Current, past or prospective employers of the data subject

Education, training establishments and examining bodies

Suppliers, providers of goods or services

Financial organisations and advisers

Central Government

Employment and recruitment agencies

Transfers:

None outside the European Economic Area

Purpose 2

 

Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations

Purpose Description:

Advertising or marketing the business of the data controller, activity, goods or services and promoting public relations in connection with that business or activity, or those goods or services.

Data subjects are:

Customers and clients

Complainants, correspondents and enquirers

Advisers, consultants and other professional experts

Data classes are:

Personal Details

Family, Lifestyle and Social Circumstances

Goods or Services Provided

Sources (S) and Disclosures (D)(1984 Act). Recipients (1998 Act):

Data subjects themselves

Business associates and other professional advisers

Suppliers, providers of goods or services

Traders in personal data

Transfers:

None outside the European Economic Area

Purpose 3

 

Accounts & Records

Purpose Description:

Keeping accounts related to any business or other activity carried on by the data controller, or deciding whether to accept any person as a customer or supplier, or keeping records of purchases, sales or other transactions for the purpose of ensuring that the requisite payments and deliveries are made or services provided by him or to him in respect of those transactions, or for the purpose of making financial or management forecasts to assist him in the conduct of any such business or activity

Data subjects are:

Customers and clients

Suppliers

Complainants, correspondents and enquirers

Data classes are:

Personal Details

Financial Details

Goods or Services Provided

Sources (S) and Disclosures (D)(1984 Act). Recipients (1998 Act):

Data subjects themselves

Business associates and other professional advisers

Employees and agents of the data controller

Other companies in the same group as the data controller

Suppliers, providers of goods or services

Financial organisations and advisers

Credit reference agencies

Debt collection and tracing agencies

Central Government

Transfers:

None outside the European Economic Area

Purpose 4

 

Legal Services

Purpose Description:

The provision of legal services, including advising and acting on behalf of clients.

Data subjects are:

Customers and clients

Complainants, correspondents and enquirers

Relatives, guardians and associates of the data subject

Data classes are:

Personal Details

Family, Lifestyle and Social Circumstances

Education and Training Details

Employment Details

Financial Details

Goods or Services Provided

Racial or Ethnic Origin

Political Opinions

Religious or Other Beliefs Of A Similar Nature

Trade Union Membership

Physical or Mental Health or Condition

Sexual Life

Offences (Including Alleged Offences)

Criminal Proceedings, Outcomes And Sentences.

Sources (S) and Disclosures (D)(1984 Act). Recipients (1998 Act):

COURTS / TRIBUNALS

Data subjects themselves

Relatives, guardians or other persons associated with the data subject

Current, past or prospective employers of the data subject

Healthcare, social and welfare advisers or practitioners

Business associates and other professional advisers

Employees and agents of the data controller

Suppliers, providers of goods or services

Persons making an enquiry or complaint

Financial organisations and advisers

Credit reference agencies

Trade, employer associations and professional bodies

Private investigators

Transfers:

None outside the European Economic Area

 

 

Statement of exempt processing:

This data controller also processes personal data which is exempt from notification

 

 

Copyright in this copy is owned by the Information Commissioner. Data Controllers may take copies of their own register entries. Apart from that no part of it may be copied unless allowed under the Copyright Designs and Patent Act 1988.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think anyone who has recieved a letter from GBC should make a formal complaint to the ICO about crossley leaking data to a disreputable organisation....sue him for thousands....................perhaps a new thread:razz:

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PORTMAN PARTNERSHIP MUSIC SERVICES LIMITED

22 GANTON STREET

C/O GATEWAY PARTNERS

LONDON

UNITED KINGDOM

W1F 7BY

Company No. 04322914

 

 

spacer.gifspacer.gifspacer.gifspacer.gifStatus: Active

Date of Incorporation: 15/11/2001

 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

9234 - Other entertainment activities

Accounting Reference Date: 31/12

Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2009 (TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL)

Next Accounts Due: 30/09/2011

Last Return Made Up To: 15/11/2009

Next Return Due: 13/12/2010 OVERDUE

Last Members List: 15/11/2009

Previous Names:No previous name information has been recorded over the last 20 years.UK Establishment Details There are no UK Establishments associated with this company.Oversea Company Info There are no Oversea Details associated with this company.

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We are advised that the Director has taken the decision stop further trading through GCB Ltd in respect of alleged copyright infringement. We believe that he has moved swiftly to minimise the damage to his name in taking this decisive action. We are further advised that he was unaware of the background involved in these claims or the precise nature of the claims.

To that end anyone receiving letters from or on behalf of GCB Ltd in respect of copyright infringement should ignore these letters. We have been assured that no further action will be taken.

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I received a letter on 9/11/2010 from ACS:LAW saying that I had downloaded a movie called "UK Student House" and that I had breached the copywright of Media C.A.T Ltd.

In a nutshell, it suggested I should pay them £475 to clear my name or they would take me to court.

I did some research on the Web to discover that Mr Andrew J. Crossley (Who is listed as the "Principal" on their headed paper) was in fact a crook and had all kinds of previous, for bad practice and dodgy dealings.

So, as a result I made the decision to carefully file the letter and ignore it.

 

Yesterday, 17/1/2011, I received a similar kind of letter from a company called GCB LTD accusing me of the same thing. It also had a letter enclosed by the very same ACS:LAW saying that they were no longer involved in this action and that any cheques should be made to GCB LTD.

Again I did some internet research and came across this site. The final and somewhat satisfying part was discovering that if you wrang the "Payment Centre" there was a message on their answer machine saying that they had changed their mind and dropped their case.

I am telling all this in order to thank everyone on this site for all the hard work you have put in, I am pretty certain that it was all the threads on this site that caused them to realise that their [problem] had got a bit out of hand. Particularly "kurvaface" I am loving your work !!!

 

If you have seen the film Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels I think you will agree that the idea behind the [problem] was very simple.

Accuse someone of something embarrassing on the grounds that if they go to the Police or tell the wife they are going to look guilty or stupid.

On the film I seem to remember they were selling Sex toys, taking the money and then not shipping them on the grounds that the buyer would be to ashamed to go to the Police or ask for a refund.

These guys are accusing you of downloading a Porno film, breaching some nobody companies copyright and trying to get you to part with £475.00.

What worries me slightly as with all these types of things is that there must be a few people out there who got these letters, immediately bottled it, and paid up.

I'd love to know how many did and and if so where the money ended up ?

Should we just leave it here or should we keep going for revenge ?

Would be nice to get someone like Rogue Traders or Watchdog to track them down.

Now that would be TV Gold !!!

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I think anyone who has recieved a letter from GBC should make a formal complaint to the ICO about crossley leaking data to a disreputable organisation....sue him for thousands....................perhaps a new thread:razz:
The Data Protection Act sets rules about the way organisations collect and use information about you (your personal information). If you have a complaint about the way an organisation has handled your personal information – perhaps they hold information about you that’s wrong and they won’t correct it, or you’ve asked for the information they hold about you and they’ve not provided it – we may be able to help.

 

If your personal information has been disclosed in a way that you did not expect you can complain to us.

If you want us to look at a complaint about a disclosure you will need to send us:

 

  • a description of when, and how, your information was disclosed;
  • details of who the information was disclosed to (if known);
  • a copy of any evidence of the disclosure (for example if the disclosure was made in correspondence or on the internet please provide a copy of any letters, or screen print from the internet); and
  • a copy of any letters or emails you sent to the organisation about the disclosure.

 

Please note: some of our online complaints forms are undergoing development. In the meantime, please choose from the following options.

 

  • By email: If all your supporting evidence is available electronically, you can send your form via email by taking the following steps. Please be aware that email may not be secure and could be intercepted before reaching the ICO.

Downloadable Data Protection Act complaint form (Word version) available online.

1. Complete and save the form to your computer.

2. Open a new email, with 'Complaint to the ICO' in the subject line.

3. Attach this form and any other documents you wish to send us.

4. Send to casework_AT_ico.gsi.gov.uk

 

  • By post: If your supporting evidence is in hard copy, you can print out the form and post it to us with your supporting evidence.
     
    Downloadable Data Protection Act complaint form (Word version) available online.

Send to:

First Contact Team

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

SK9 5AF

I would imagine that the ICO would be interested to hear about an organisation that passed on your details to an apparently unregistered third party, particularly when such organisation was already under investigation.

 

Sadly, I suspect that the ICO is completely toothless and is only able to tell Andrew Jonathan Crossley that he has been a very, very naughty person - but he knew that already - and couldn't care less.

 

You can call the ICO on 0303 123 1113 for advice

 

Do it! Do it now!

 

I believe that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) would probably also like to be kept abreast of Andrew Jonathan Crossley's continuing questionable activities.

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The odd thing is I know somebody who regularly downloads porn and has never had it queried by one of these companies. They do seem to target a particular area at a time, which makes me think they are gathering data from a party going round seeing who is downloading at any given time....

 

There used to be a program called Kermit which rang every phone number in the neighbourhood and told you who had a fax/pc attached... probably using a similar piece of software similar to the one Goole uses.

 

Best things to do when downloading is

 

1. Use a 'roaming' ISP address

2. Turn your location services off

3. Don't do it illegally

4. If you do download make sure you have a backup ready

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We are advised that the Director has taken the decision stop further trading through GCB Ltd in respect of alleged copyright infringement. We believe that he has moved swiftly to minimise the damage to his name in taking this decisive action. We are further advised that he was unaware of the background involved in these claims or the precise nature of the claims.

To that end anyone receiving letters from or on behalf of GCB Ltd in respect of copyright infringement should ignore these letters. We have been assured that no further action will be taken.

 

LMFAO

 

Allan, I thought americans didn't have a sense of humour.

I suggest you tell your sleazy client to write to all the people concerned and suggest to him that posting anonymous messages on public fora (Via one of his accountants) is no way to discontinue this kind of activity. He should be ashamed of himself, not only for being a porn mongerer but also for abusing our systems, and you sir, have no place working in our institutions "Educating" the next generation. I shall be contacting your college and informing them that you seem to be right in the middle of this.

 

:mad2:

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