“Filmmaker” suing PassThePopcorn may be banned user out for revenge

Alleged Filmmaker Sues Private Torrent Trackers

An individual named Matthew Schneider, claiming to be an independent filmmaker, filed lawsuits against several major private torrent trackers for copyright infringement. The trackers targeted include PassThePopcorn, BroadcasTheNet, and HDBits. For months, the plaintiff pursued a legal fight to have Cloudflare reveal the operators of these trackers.

Impostor Allegations Surface

The case took a turn when the trackers alerted the court that Schneider appeared to be an impostor. In a sworn declaration, the real filmmaker Matthew Schneider, whose films were cited in the complaint, stated he had no involvement with the lawsuit. He wrote, “I am not involved in, nor have I ever appeared in, this case.”

In response, the plaintiff in the lawsuit claimed, “I’m a different Matthew Schneider.” He asserted that he had coincidentally made three films with identical titles to the other filmmaker's works: Split: A Film Anthology, Do Us Part, and Orlando Gloom, Always the Same.

Judge Warns of Sanctions

Judge Andrea R. Wood found this development unexpected in what TorrentFreak noted was the first copyright case to target multiple prominent private torrent trackers. The judge warned that if the trackers' allegations were true, the plaintiff could face sanctions for filing a frivolous claim with intent to deceive the court.

Plaintiff Abruptly Dismisses Case

As pressure mounted for clarification, the plaintiff voluntarily and abruptly dismissed the claims. However, this last-minute withdrawal may not shield him from potential sanctions.