US copyright enforcement agency RightsCorp is expanding its activity into Europe and the UK, with its CEO saying that the news has been getting a “great reception” from everyone he has spoken to in Britain.
RightsCorp works on behalf of copyright holders by monitoring popular torrent trackers, such as The Pirate Bay, and identifying the IP addresses of online pirates. It then forces the internet service providers (ISPs) to write to the owners of those addresses demanding $20 (£12) for each illegal download or face legal action.
As UK copyright enforcement agency Golden Eye International points out, copyright theft is a serious problem for creators, distributors and legitimate retailers. Currently, 15 per cent of the value of legitimate sales of music, films, jewellery and designer goods is lost to copyright theft and the total loss to the UK economy is in excess of a billion pounds.
By contrast, the pirates are making a fortune as the streaming of illicit content becomes more prevalent, with sites like Pirate Bay making over $1m a year from selling advertising, so a new enforcement agency could make a significant impact.
However, although RightsCorp has been very successful in the US, having achieved more than 60,000 court settlements since 2011, its methods have been described as controversial and it takes a large percentage of the settlement money in fees, often as much as the artists it represents.
It should also be noted that the IP addresses and peer-to-peer sharing information provided by RightsCorp might not constitute solid court evidence here. Therefore, anyone receiving a copyright infringement letter should not admit their guilt or agree to settle, as agreeing to settle could be seen as an admission of guilt and may prejudice future accusations.