In case you think the record producers and movie studios have thrown up their collective hands and are doing nothing about illegal downloading of songs and movies -- think again.
Every week, from Maine to Alaska, a spate of lawsuits are filed targeting pirates. And we're not talking about the guys who sit in a movie theater videotaping the latest release and selling them on crappy DVDs. We're talking about ordinary consumers.
Over the last two days, Sony, Warner Brothers, UMG Recordings, and others filed a total of 26 claims across the U.S. against individuals for offering copyrighted material without a license.
With so much to lose, and so much to spend, expect to see this kind of aggressive behavior ramping up as time goes on.