Edward Webb, who runs the popular site LokiTorrent that connects users to free downloadable movies, has several big enemies. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) — the biggest of the big — is taking a page from the music industry and suing sites that enable people to swap BitTorrent movie files.
But Webb has a gaggle of friends as well, and he’s reaching out to his Loki community for financial assistance to pay his legal bills. So far, in 10 days, the Loki users have chipped in nearly $40,000 for Webb’s defense fund.
Webb’s approach is unique. Nearly 60 percent of the sites the MPAA has contacted with cease-and-desist letters have decided to voluntarily shut down, and a majority of the remaining destinations are either working to comply with the order or finalizing legal settlements, according to Dean Garfield, vice president and director of legal affairs for the MPAA.
“We’re having a dramatic impact on the network, on the illegal traffic on the network,” says Garfield.
These responses echo what most individuals sued by the RIAA did: faced with the enormous legal costs necessary to fight the entertainment industry, ordinary people decided to stop and settle.
Webb decided to stand up to the MPAA, but knew he didn’t have enough money to fight alone. So, he put the word out.
Read the complete article @ Technology Review
