Tag: Illinois

Suburban Express Sued By Illinois Attorney General For Behaving Like Suburban Express | Techdirt

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, seeks a restraining order against the company to stop it from publishing customers’ financial information, halt harassment and prevent the company from forcing riders to accept unfair contract terms. If the company does not change its practices, Madigan said, the attorney general wants the company out of business.The company’s actions, Madigan said, constitute “flagrant and numerous violations” of Illinois’ civil rights and consumer protection laws.“My lawsuit alleges that Suburban Express has long been engaged in illegal discrimination and harassment of college students in Illinois, particularly University of Illinois students and their families,” Madigan said at a morning news conference at the Thompson Center to announce the lawsuit.

Source: Suburban Express Sued By Illinois Attorney General For Behaving Like Suburban Express | Techdirt

Illinois Police Department Pulls Plug On Body Cameras Because Accountability Is ‘A Bit Burdensome’ | Techdirt

Minooka Police Chief Justin Meyer said Friday the issue was not with the functionality of the cameras, but that it became a burden for staff to fill the many requests for video footage.

Source: Illinois Police Department Pulls Plug On Body Cameras Because Accountability Is ‘A Bit Burdensome’ | Techdirt

ARDC suddenly remembers that there is “D” in its acronym, starts disciplinary proceeds against John Steele | Fight Copyright Trolls

Today Jerome Larkin, Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, via Counsel Wendy J. Muchman and Marita C. Sullivan, filed a seven-count, 14,000-word complaint against Prenda’s John Steele alleging massive professional misconduct and fraud on the Court (the word “fraud” is used 17 times throughout the document).

Source: ARDC suddenly remembers that there is “D” in its acronym, starts disciplinary proceeds against John Steele | Fight Copyright Trolls

Sky Will Hand Over Customer Data in Movie Piracy Case

Any regular reader of these pages will be familiar with the term “copyright troll”. These companies have made a business model out of monitoring file-sharing networks for alleged copyright infringements, tracking down alleged offenders and then demanding hard cash to make supposed lawsuits go away.

The practice is widespread in the United States but also takes place in several countries around Europe. Wherever the location, the methods employed are largely the same. ‘Trolls’ approach courts with ‘evidence’ of infringement and demand that ISPs hand over the details of their subscribers so that the copyright holder can demand money from them.

During September 2014, TorrentFreak became aware of a UK court case that had just appeared before the Chancery Division. The title – TCYK LLP v British Sky Broadcasting Ltd – raised eyebrows. From experience we know that TCYK stands for The Company You Keep and is the title of the film of the same name directed and starring Robert Redford, appearing alongside Susan Sarandon and Shia LeBeouf.

While the movie itself is reportedly unremarkable, the response to it being unlawfully made available on file-sharing networks has been significant. In the United States TCYK LLC has filed dozens of copyright infringement lawsuits against Internet subscribers in many states including Illinois, Colorado, Ohio, Florida and Minnesota, to name a few. Those interested in their U.S-based activities can read about them extensively on ‘troll’ watching sites DTD and Fight Copyright Trolls.

The big news today, however, is that TCYK LLC is about to start demanding cash from customers of the UK’s second largest ISP, Sky Broadband. TorrentFreak approached Sky back in September for information on the case but after several emails back and forth the trail went cold. We can now reveal what has transpired.

Link (TorrentFreak)

Suburban Express Changes Terms Of Service To Screw Sued College Students Out Of University-Provided Legal Aid

Dennis Toeppen of Suburban Express is still deploying his highly-peculiar brand of “customer service” — something that includes doxxing unhappy customers, suing unhappy customers, suingunhappy customers, suing unhappy customers and being arrested for “harassment through electronic communications.”

Nothing has changed. Toeppen is still a lawsuit fan who believes negative reviewers or anyone who doesn’t fully appreciate how hard it is to run a shuttle bus service should be forced to pay $500 (at least) in “liquidated damages.” Now, he’s looking to pave himself a downhill slope for his future lawsuit filing. Techdirt reader Kionae sends over this article from the University of Illinois’ campus newspaper which contains a small detail that shows just how far Toeppen is willing to go to get his $500.

Suburban Express recently changed its “Terms & Conditions” so any legal action arising on the online transaction of tickets should take place in Ford County, roughly 30 miles north of Champaign.

In a statement on its website, the company said it chose Ford County “because of high availability of court dates, efficient court operation, excellent staff work ethic, low costs for both parties, easy parking, and other factors.”

This has nothing to do with “efficient court operations” and has everything to do with making it economically unfeasible for sued college students to fight back. Taking the action 30 miles away strips students of the following protection:

According to the Student Legal Services Operational Plan, Student Legal Services can only represent eligible students who have cases in or originating in Champaign County.

Toeppen’s change of venue is carefully calculated to extract the most money/misery from the situation. That situation, of course, is Toeppen’s inability to run a business and field criticism at the same time. In Toeppen’s defense, he’ll say he’s never wrong and it’s these spoiled brat students with overactive mouths who are to blame. (What? Did you think I was going to half-heartedly defend any aspect of Toeppen’s behavior?)

With students forced to pay for their own defense against Toeppen’s frivolous, vindictive lawsuits, the needle moves towards a higher default judgment rate. That’s what Toeppen wants, considering his legal arguments are mostly indefensible. This should see his lawsuit-filing rate approaching the stratospheric highs of 2012-13, a two-year span in which Suburban Express filed 126 lawsuits. Toeppen is misusing the judicial system. Hopefully, the judges there will recognize his venue-shifting for what it is and push cases back to the proper courts.

Link (Techdirt)