Activision’s copy lawsuits not connected to file sharing after all

A series of lawsuits filed by Activision has led to speculation that the world’s biggest video game publisher is now employing tactics similar to those employed by the RIAA to crack down on file sharers. However, Karin Pagnanelli, Activision’s lead attorney, has denied that the
lawsuits had anything to do with file sharing. More after the jump.

A series of lawsuits filed by Activision has led to speculation that the publisher is now employing tactics similar to those employed by the RIAA to crack down on file sharers.

Speculation was further fueled by Activision’s choice for lead attorney: Karin Pagnanelli, who has worked on quite a few file sharing cases for clients in the music business.

Pagnanelli, though, has recently told GamePolitics that the Activision lawsuits did not involve file sharing. In an email, Pagnanelli said that they “have never filed any litigation against a file-sharer on behalf of Activision.”

With file sharing discounted as a possible reason, it looks like outright selling of burned copies of pirated games is the most likely one at this point. The settlement statements of the defendants mention that they “distributed and/or reproduced a copyrighted video game”.

Activision filed six lawsuits in total, with the earliest dating back to 2007. Five were settled after the defendants agreed to pay Activision sums ranging from US$ 1,000 to US$ 100,000. The most recent case, filed against James R. Strickland, is still active.

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Via GamePolitics