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from the i-shouldn't-be-happy-about-this-but-i-am dept.
TorrentFreak reports on this story of real losses for the entertainment industry:
In the early 2000s, international and Danish entertainment industry groups came together to tackle piracy of movies, music and other media.
The resulting Antipiratgruppen (now RettighedsAlliancen / Rights Alliance) needed legal representation and local lawfirm Johan Schlüter was hired for the job, representing groups including the MPAA.
In the years that followed Johan Schlüter became involved in dozens of anti-piracy cases but after continually accusing pirates of being thieves, eventually the tables began to turn. Earlier this year it was reported that an investigation into the company's accounts had uncovered financial irregularities amounting to millions of dollars.
Carried out by U.S. auditing giant Deloitte, the investigation found that while Johan Schlüter had been collecting rights revenues on behalf of several movie and TV industry groups, the lawfirm hadn't been handing them all over. The black hole was thought be to around $15m.
Now, however, fresh leaks from the confidential study have revealed the true extent of the shortfall. According to data obtained by Finans.dk, Johan Schlüter failed to hand over around $25m.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @05:52PM
🎻
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @07:09PM
𝄞 ♫♫♫ ♪♪♫♪♪♫ ♫♫♫ ♪♪♫♪♪♫ Extra credit if you name it.
(Score: 1) by DeathElk on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:17AM
Smoke on the water
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @07:10PM
That's not the world's smallest violin! This is:
🎻
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday December 10 2015, @12:18AM
Ideally, they need to destroy each other in a black hole of suckage.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday December 10 2015, @09:48AM
That would be Maxim 29 you're looking for: "The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more. No less."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday December 09 2015, @06:01PM
MPAA, RIAA, and the various other "antipiracy" organizations have ripped us all off for untold billions. The fact that Schluter only got 25 million seems to indicate that they are less than competent.
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @07:57PM
They're responsible for making us lose more civil liberties than a dozen patriot acts combined.
(Score: 5, Funny) by rondon on Wednesday December 09 2015, @06:02PM
The crooks hired other crooks to prosecute "pirates," and their surprised when they find out they've been robbed?
Shenanigans I say!!! Is there no honor amongst thieves?
(Score: 2) by rondon on Wednesday December 09 2015, @07:29PM
Damn it, of course I make the dreaded their/they're when I am making fun of someone else. Ugh.
(Score: 2) by Marco2G on Wednesday December 09 2015, @09:33PM
Hey, at least you noticed it yourself.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @10:11PM
IP extremists are crooks and dishonest liars. Just look at the ones around here. Anyone willing to go after others for infringement is a crook. Anyone willing to work for a crook is also a crook. So that limits the options of IP extremist crooks who want to hire others to go after people for infringement also to hiring crooks. No surprised that they themselves got scammed.
(Score: 2) by BK on Wednesday December 09 2015, @06:23PM
So, can we send them all to jail? All of the lawyers I mean.
...but you HAVE heard of me.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @07:00PM
and there is no honor among crooks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @07:58PM
You're just not hanging with the right crooks :)
(Score: 5, Informative) by J.J. Dane on Wednesday December 09 2015, @08:05PM
This is, of course, the same Johan Schlüter who, while working for the Anti-Piracy group, in 2007 uttered the following:
"Child pornography is great," the speaker at the podium declared enthusiastically. "It is great because politicians understand child pornography. By playing that card, we can get them to act, and start blocking sites. And once they have done that, we can get them to start blocking file sharing sites.
( http://boingboing.net/2010/04/28/music-industry-spoke.html [boingboing.net] )
Anyways, lawyer caught with hand in cookie jar. Film at eleven.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @10:02PM
But how can he... I disappointed. The Noble Man Who Devoted His Life To Fight Thieves is a thief himself? I just can't believe that! I'm sure that this is some sort of retaliation from Evil Hackers, who can't make billions by pirating anymore!
(Score: 1) by BrockDockdale on Thursday December 10 2015, @08:41PM
This is the example you bring up next time somebody claims fighting piracy is about making sure "the artists" get paid and get their fair share.