ACS Law may have to pay costs in file-sharing case

Law firm that sent legal letters to alleged file sharers sees final cases closed

Solicitors ACS Law may be ordered to pay court costs for the cases it brought against alleged illegal file sharers.

Judges are able to apply a verdict of wasted costs to cases where they consider legal professionals to have acted improperly, but such rulings are rare.

However, according to a report from the BBC, Judge Birss said at a hearing on Wednesday: "If ever there was a case with conduct out of the norm, it was this one."

Andrew Crossley, the only registered solicitor at ACS Law before it ceased trading last month, had attempted to withdraw his cases before they went to court.

His letters were interpreted by some as intimidating, so encouraging alleged file sharers to pay fines out of court.

Guy Tritton, barrister for five of the accused in the case, said: "The primary purpose of the letters was to make money for ACS Law."

The opportunity to send the letters was created by the Digital Economy Act, which attempted to protect against online copyright infringement.

However, critics of the act have maintained that it is impossible to police, and it is set for judicial review next month.