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Lawyer who made fortune over porn threats charged with fraud
Chicago lawyer John L Steele has been charged with eight counts of fraud, dishonesty and improper use of the courts system after allegedly systematically pursuing illegal downloaders of porn, threatening them and then settling cases.
Chicago dibrova
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Mr Steele could lose his licence to practice if the allegations against him are held up. He and former partners in a firm called Prenda Law, now disbanded, traced the people who downloaded copyrighted pornographic films with specialist software. They then subpoened the names of people at the addresses, according to the charges. The people were threatened with public exposure and fines of up to US$150,000. Other lawyers say that no cases were ever pursued but that Mr Steele would settle cases for as little as $4,000.
Regulators
Erin Russell, a Chicago-based IP specialist, said: 'This could be an ethics primer on all of the things not to do.' The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, the Illinois body which regulators lawyers, has just made public the charges made against Mr Steele. Source: Chicago Tribune
