United Kingdom: A law firm is under a government investigation after sending letters to hundreds of consumers which accused them of committing illegal file-sharing and unauthorized download from the Internet.
In a statement, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said that Davenport Lyons is being investigated for allegedly “bullying and harassing” people by sending letters claiming that they have been involved in illegal sharing of movies, games, music, and applications.
The law firm, which was hired by copyright holders, also demand a payment of £500 to those who received the letter.
In December 2008, consumer advocate Which? has filed a complaint against the law firm for allegedly “using a tactic that aims to harass and accuse people of copyright infringements even if they did not commit such violation.”
When asked for comments, the group said the investigation “is something that will favour consumers”, adding that this might serve as a warning to other law firms.
In an interview, Which? head of legal affairs Deborah Prince said that the organization wants the law firm to stop “bullying people just to make a quick buck.”
“These bullying tactics should be immediately stop to protect the interest of consumers”, Prince said, adding that the organization “is pleased with the SRA’s decision to investigate the issue.”
Prince also warned law firms from harassing people by randomly accusing them of copyright infringements.
According to previous reports, more than 150 consumers have complained to authorities after they have received a letter from the law firm accusing them of illegally sharing online files.
Meanwhile, Davenport Lyons has declined to give comments on the issue.