But does threatening a few people really solve the problem?
Fox employees, working under cover, gathered the evidence over the last year.
Although the complaints do not reveal the identity of most of the defendants — these people did not reveal their names in the transactions so Fox will now use subpoenas to obtain the information — it lists the sellers as living in many states. Five people were named: Kenneth Slater of Paxton, Ill.; Valerie Rosales of Stockton, Calif.; Ozy Smith of Oakland, Calif.; John Hegedus of Garfield, N.J.; and David Chung of Chicago.
“This kind of conduct not only violates the law, it’s just plain wrong,” Fox said in a statement on Thursday. “We filed these lawsuits today to protect our creative professionals and the intellectual property they spend years developing.”
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not condoning what these people did. It is illegal. But is using a couple of people to set an example really the most productive way to deal with piracy? Why not instead go to the sources that allow for piracy to exist, widespread, on the internet? Having said that, does the fact that a film has been leaked onto the internet really affect it's total gross revenue? Even with the early leak prior to the movie's May release, Wolverine: Origins still was not the most downloaded movie of last year; that honor goes to Star Trek. And even with the leak, the film managed to nearly triple in total gross revenue that it cost to make. Do you think that by going after specific individuals, Fox is being counterproductive in dealing with piracy?
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