The past few months have seen a major uptick in Bittorrent copyright lawsuit filings in the District Courts of Washington and Oregon. The filing attorneys are relative newcomers and are apparently hoping to avoid some of the past problems experienced by Prenda Law attorneys and others whom have been scolded for imprecise and sloppy investigations and other procedural irregularities. These new filers are reportedly focusing on geo-location technologies and more robust online investigations to support appropriate jurisdiction and venue.

Western District of Washington

In the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Seattle attorney Richard J. Symmes has been prolific. He recently file over a dozen lawsuits on a single day on behalf of Zambezia Film Ltd., which owns the right to the animated voice-over family film Zambezia:

2:13-cv-00307-JLR-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty.) Ltd. v. Does 1-47
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00308-MJP-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty.) Ltd. v. Does 1-66
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00309-RAJ-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-66
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00310-TSZ-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty.) Ltd. v. Does 1-66
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00311-RAJ-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty.) Ltd. v. Does 1-66
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00312-JLR-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty.) Ltd. v. Does 1-70
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00313-RAJ-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-48
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00314-JLR-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty.) Ltd. v. Does 1-58
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00315-RSM-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-51
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00316-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-51
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00317-MJP-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-18
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00318-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-57
filed 02/18/13

2:13-cv-00319-RSM-RSL
Zembezia Film (Pty) Ltd v. Does 1-47
filed 02/18/13

Symmes has also filed several lawsuits involving the post-apocalyptic horror flick The Divide on behalf of R&D Films 1, LLC:

2:13-cv-00050-RSL
R & D Film 1, LLC v. Does 1-46
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00051-JLR-RSL
R & D Film 1, LLC v. Does 1-45
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00052-RSL
R & D Film 1, LLC v. Does 1-41
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00053-JLR-RSL
R & D Film 1 LLC v. Does 1-22
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00054-MJP-RSL
R & D Film 1 LLC v. Does 1-51
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00055-MJP-RSL
R & D Film 1 LLC v. Does 1-50
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00056-TSZ-RSL
R & D Film 1 LLC v. Does 1-44
filed 01/08/13

2:13-cv-00057-RSL
R & D Film 1 LLC v. Does 1-16
filed 01/08/13

Symmes has also apparently gained some business from former U.S. Copyright Group/Dunlap Grubb & Weaver client Voltage Pictures, LLC (of The Hurt Locker fame). New filings were made just last month, apparently in relation to Maximum Conviction, a straight-to-video action film featuring none other than Steven Seagal.

2:13-cv-00455-MJP-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-18
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00456-RAJ-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-78
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00457-MJP-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-78
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00458-RAJ-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-22
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00459-TSZ-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-40
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00460-RSM-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-52
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00461-RAJ-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-78
filed 03/13/13

2:13-cv-00462-JLR-RSL
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-18
filed 03/13/13

In another batch of filings, Symmes in February filed seven suits for Riding Films, Inc., the maker of Dawn Rider, a remake of a classic 1935 John Wayne western, this time with Christian Slater and Donald Sutherland:

2:13-cv-00255-RSM-RSL
Riding Films, Inc. v. Does 1-35
filed 02/12/13

2:13-cv-00256-RSL
Riding Films, Inc. v. Does 1-12
filed 02/12/13

2:13-cv-00277-TSZ-RSL
Riding Films Inc v. Does 1-44
filed 02/13/13

2:13-cv-00278-RSL
Riding Films Inc v. Does 1-44
filed 02/13/13

2:13-cv-00287-RSL
Riding Films Inc v. Does 1-65
filed 02/14/13

2:13-cv-00288-JLR-RSL
Riding Films Inc v. Does 1-65
filed 02/14/13

2:13-cv-00289-RSM-RSL
Riding Films Inc v. Does 1-64
filed 02/14/13

Symmes also filed a few suits on behalf of The Ledge Distribution, LLC. These cases involve The Ledge, a 2011 drama with Liv Tyler.

2:13-cv-00328-RSM-RSL
The Ledge Distribution, LLC v. Does 1-43
filed 02/20/13

2:13-cv-00329-MJP-RSL
The Ledge Distribution, LLC v. Does 1-44
filed 02/20/13

2:13-cv-00330-RAJ-RSL
The Ledge Distribution, LLC v. Does 1-71
filed 02/20/13

Finally, Symmes filed a handful of other one-off suits including Flypaper Distribution, LLC v. Does 1-19 (No. 2:13-cv-00063-RAJ-RSL); Private Lenders Group, Inc. v. Does 1-59 (No. 2:13-cv-00194-RAJ-RSL); and D3 Productions, LLC v. Does (No. 2:13-cv-00228-RSM-RSL).

Attorney Maureen Van der May also filed a few lawsuits in the Western District, including
Elf-Man, LLC v. Does 1-152 (No. 2:13-cv-00507-RSL); and The Thompsons Film, LLC v. Does 1-194 (No. 2:13-cv-00560-RSL). Elf Man is related a direct-to-video Christmas family comedy starring Wee Man. The Thompsons is a 2012 horror flick about a family of vampire fugitives.

District of Oregon

In Oregon, Salem attorney Carl D. Crowell has filed a handful of suits on behalf of Voltage Pictures for Maximum Conviction. He also instigated a few for Elf Man, a direct-to-video Christmas family comedy:

1:13-cv-00293-AA
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1 – 34
filed 02/19/13

1:13-cv-00333-CL
Elf-Man, LLC v. Does 1 – 16
filed 02/26/13

2:13-cv-00292-AA
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1 – 12
filed 02/19/13

3:13-cv-00295-AA
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1 – 371
filed 02/19/13

3:13-cv-00334-AC
Elf-Man, LLC v. Does 1 – 107
filed 02/26/13

6:13-cv-00290-AA
Voltage Pictures, LLC v. Does 1-198
filed 02/19/13

6:13-cv-00331-TC
Elf-Man, LLC v. Does 1 – 57
filed 02/26/13

Crowell has filed a pair of one-off suits as well, The Thompsons Film, LLC v. Does 1 – 155 (No. 6:13-cv-00469-TC); and RynoRyder Productions, Inc. v. Does 1 – 23 (No. 6:13-cv-00539-TC).