{Louisville, Kentucky}...It's a common tactic for pornography producers to sue online pirates who illegally download movies. Often, representatives will call up the defendants, offering quick settlements of $1,000 or $5,000 to avoid facing $150,000 claims and public embarrassment. A Kentucky woman, Jennifer Barker, is suing five companies out of California and London that targeted her. Barker is seeking class-action status to hold the companies accountable for harassing calls for settlements. The five companies have filed more than 500 lawsuits in 17 states in recent years. Barker's attorney, Ken Henry of Louisville, who filed the lawsuit, estimates 500,000 people have been sued or gotten calls from representatives of the companies since 2007.
