Man sued by Disney/Warner Bros. for downloading movies
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Hollywood came calling for Mike Padgett, but not in the way many imagine.
Padgett, of 826 W. VanTrees St., was sued this week in U.S. District Court in Evansville by Disney and Warner Brothers for copyright infringement. The suit, as reported in Wednesday's edition of the Evansville Courier and Press, states that Padgett had allegedly download two movies ? "Batman Begins" and "Sweet Home Alabama."
Padgett, who is a custodian at Washington High School, refused to comment. He would not say if he has hired an attorney yet but may make comments after he speaks with an attorney.
Although the suit originated from Loeb and Loeb, a law firm from New York, it was filed in Evansville by Pat Shoulders of Ziemer, Stayman, Weitzel and Shoulders. Shoulder's office declined comment and passed any questions on to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Michelle Greeno, a spokesman for the Los Angeles group, said the way his group pursues those who would download is by using an investigation team and issuing subpoenas to Internet service providers. Greeno also said the program Padgett used was Kazaa, a controversial file-sharing program that was eventually shut down. Greeno also said the group does contact all individuals to stop before filing suit.
"There's no difference between walking into a video store and stealing a movie off the shelf," Greeno said. "We have a multi-pronged approach to fighting piracy."
The Motion Picture Association of America Web site, http://www.mpaa.org, says damages from copyright infringement have ranged from $30,000 to $150,000 depending on the severity of the case. In the original suit, the studios are asking for destruction of the movies and for damages and legal fees.
The studios also filed suit against another southern Indiana man, Paul Hess of Tell City. He is alleged to have downloaded "Million Dollar Baby" illegally. Hess, who works in a computer repair store, said to the Courier and Press that it may have been accidental as he was trying to fix a computer.
Also according to the MPAA site, about $3.5 billion is lost every year to film piracy.
Padgett, of 826 W. VanTrees St., was sued this week in U.S. District Court in Evansville by Disney and Warner Brothers for copyright infringement. The suit, as reported in Wednesday's edition of the Evansville Courier and Press, states that Padgett had allegedly download two movies ? "Batman Begins" and "Sweet Home Alabama."
Padgett, who is a custodian at Washington High School, refused to comment. He would not say if he has hired an attorney yet but may make comments after he speaks with an attorney.
Although the suit originated from Loeb and Loeb, a law firm from New York, it was filed in Evansville by Pat Shoulders of Ziemer, Stayman, Weitzel and Shoulders. Shoulder's office declined comment and passed any questions on to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Michelle Greeno, a spokesman for the Los Angeles group, said the way his group pursues those who would download is by using an investigation team and issuing subpoenas to Internet service providers. Greeno also said the program Padgett used was Kazaa, a controversial file-sharing program that was eventually shut down. Greeno also said the group does contact all individuals to stop before filing suit.
"There's no difference between walking into a video store and stealing a movie off the shelf," Greeno said. "We have a multi-pronged approach to fighting piracy."
The Motion Picture Association of America Web site, http://www.mpaa.org, says damages from copyright infringement have ranged from $30,000 to $150,000 depending on the severity of the case. In the original suit, the studios are asking for destruction of the movies and for damages and legal fees.
The studios also filed suit against another southern Indiana man, Paul Hess of Tell City. He is alleged to have downloaded "Million Dollar Baby" illegally. Hess, who works in a computer repair store, said to the Courier and Press that it may have been accidental as he was trying to fix a computer.
Also according to the MPAA site, about $3.5 billion is lost every year to film piracy.
save yourself the headache 
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