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Paul Duffy, an attorney for the Prenda Law, died on Monday, a Cook County Medical Examiner spokesperson said, adding that the cause of death is still pending and could take up to three months to confirm. The Madison Recorder noted that Duffy died at a Chicago hospital. He was 55.
Prenda made millions by suing Internet users for allegedly downloading porn illegally, banking on the fact that most of the people receiving its lawsuit threats would choose to settle rather than endure the cost and embarrassment of a lawsuit—even if they did nothing wrong. Duffy was considered a principal for Prenda Law, but he also worked closely with John Steele and Paul Hansemeier, who were affiliated with Prenda's litigation.
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Prenda-Linked Copyright Trolling Lawyer Paul Duffy Dead at Age 55
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
The mosquito is the state bird of New Jersey.
-- Andy Warhol
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Saturday August 15 2015, @08:59AM
Bad people DO die sometimes!
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Saturday August 15 2015, @10:02AM
implying, that sometimes, they DON'T die???
huh?
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @12:12PM
Everybody dies, no matter how rich.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Joe Desertrat on Saturday August 15 2015, @07:23PM
Everybody dies, no matter how rich.
But the damage they did may live on forever.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Saturday August 15 2015, @09:44AM
couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! ;)
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Saturday August 15 2015, @09:51AM
The obvious tactic will be to shift all blame for everything to Duffy. That would be unfortunate, as he was not the only slimeball involved in the Prenda scheme.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Saturday August 15 2015, @03:21PM
If that happens, I'd double check the causes of death. You do not usually wait for the scapegoat to die from natural causes.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday August 15 2015, @04:04PM
And it usually doesn't take three months to determine the cause of death.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:11PM
They still haven't found the head. It's too far up his ass to get.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday August 17 2015, @08:30PM
>too far up his ass
The one time that a rabbit could show up near a Duffy, ask "what's up doc?" and have an exhaustive answer, at last.
Account abandoned.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @10:17AM
Richard Matthew Stallman
Marshall Kirk McKusick
Linus Benedict Torvalds
Death is inevitable, after all. Who wants to start a betting pool on when these old folks will drop dead?
(Score: 1, Troll) by mendax on Saturday August 15 2015, @10:57AM
Well, I won't morn the passing of Linus whenever it happens. Aside from the fact that he appears to be a first-class asshole, he said [bloomberg.com] recently that he's confident that Linux will continue without him. Well, what's keeping him? ;-)
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @11:14AM
Wouldn't it be funny if Linus dies before Kirk and everybody switches to BSD.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @12:15PM
Actually I wouldn't. These people have actually contributed to humanity in a positive way. So no, I wouldn't celebrate their deaths, but I would celebrate their birthdays even after they die.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 15 2015, @01:34PM
You can't beat first class! And, just think - where would you be without an asshole? Ain't nothin' wrong with assholes.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 16 2015, @04:12AM
I doubt he was born a first-class asshole. It was probably people like you that turned him into one--I know this first hand because it's happening to me!
Or, to put it another way, Linus Torvalds has made an invaluable contribution to society. WTF have YOU done?
Oh, and I'm definitely happy that one scumbag has left the earth. Now if Pottering and his ilk would do the same (or at least admit they work for M$ or Oracle), I'd be even happier!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 15 2015, @01:31PM
When the fuck did Linus get old? The little turd is little more than a kid! Alright, 45 ain't a kid no more, but OLD?!?!?!
Stallman's got one of those faces - he probably looked old before he got out of high school. McKusick? Ehhh - 61. He's getting there.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2, Touché) by ghost on Sunday August 16 2015, @12:36AM
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday August 18 2015, @12:54AM
It seems that the comment I made about Linus Torvalds may have implied a certain type of animosity toward him. If the Nobel folks gave prizes for achievements in computer science, Linus should receive one. In fact, both Linus and Richard Stallman should receive it jointly. Linux is just a kernel; the GNU Project's work made it possible to be a practical operating system. Linux and the GNU Project combined made it possible so many things possible that could not have happened without the existence of a free, open-source operating system. We (and I) are forever in their debt.
But that does not change the fact that Linus's behavior toward those who do Linux kernel development is dictatorial. Humility does not seem to be something he knows much about. Of course, compared to Steve Ballmer, Linus is an arrogant mouse. Still, a person can accomplish great things, do work that benefits humanity in unimaginable ways, and still be an asshole. I recall the great Vulcan proverb: Only Nixon can go to China. It can be arguably said that Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972 opened the door for the creation of the modern China we have today, and that was a great diplomatic achievement. But both Nixon and Henry Kissinger, the man who made that visit possible, are both assholes.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Friday August 21 2015, @11:00AM
Will you celebrate these deaths also?
And do you still beat your wife?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2, Interesting) by citizenr on Saturday August 15 2015, @10:44AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FdHq3WfJgs [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by deimios on Saturday August 15 2015, @11:26AM
Are you sure he's dead? Are you positive, 100%, certain? Did you drive a stake through the hole where normal people have their heart?
After the SCO incident I'm pretty sure the only things surviving a nuclear holocaust are cockroaches and copyright trolls. And the cockroaches will wish they'd died in the nuclear blast...
(Score: 4, Touché) by wantkitteh on Saturday August 15 2015, @11:29AM
Nah, the cockroaches will be glad that they're still not the lowest form of life on the planet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @10:35PM
I won't believe it until the autopsy is finished.
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Saturday August 15 2015, @11:35AM
Unless he ate kittens and literally raised hell, it's wrong to celebrate someone's death.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday August 15 2015, @12:24PM
Is that true for all deaths? Personally I feel comfortable celebrating the deaths of the Stalins, Pol Pots, Maos, and Hitlers of the world.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Saturday August 15 2015, @12:50PM
Those kind of people fit the definition in my original comment.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Saturday August 15 2015, @08:22PM
And extortionists don't?
Those who prey on others with nothing but greed as a motivation get no sympathy from me.
While I am not baking a cake to celebrate his death I am glad there is one less person like him in the world.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @01:47PM
All men have an emotion to kill; when they strongly dislike some one they involuntarily wish he was dead. I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @07:43PM
Barring that, medical technology can keep people alive way past the point where most people might want to be dead, despite various sort of things done to them...
But so far I don't really hate anyone that much.
(Score: 2) by CirclesInSand on Sunday August 16 2015, @05:25AM
What if someone had to work really hard to kill him? I think it would be OK then.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @05:54PM
One wonders if this just might be karma catching up with this person...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 16 2015, @03:04AM
No.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @08:07PM
I have some... business that needs taking care of at his grave.
(Score: 1) by ghost on Sunday August 16 2015, @12:33AM