A Federal Judge Rules that Oregon’s Toughest Copyright Lawyer Must Pay Fees to Piracy Defendant

Carl Crowell must pay to cover the costs racked up by a Portland man who defended himself against a copyright charge he says is baseless.

Carl Crowell (Courtney Theim)
By Katie Shepherd

U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stacie Beckerman today ordered Oregon's go-to copyright lawyer to pay the attorney's fees of a defendant in a BitTorrent case that the lawyer had tried to dismiss.

Carl Crowell, who is known for his aggressive tactics in bringing cases against people he accuses of illegally downloading movies, will have to pay in order to dismiss a case he filed against a Portland man in April.

Related: A copyright lawyer demands that people suspected of movie piracy hand him their computer hard drives.

Bill Sheldon, who lives in southwest Portland, says he never downloaded Mechanic: Resurrection, a Jason Statham action flick. Crowell had asked Sheldon to provide his hard drive for inspection to prove that he was not illegally downloading movies.

Sheldon, with the help of his lawyer Lake Perriguey, resisted Crowell's demands.

Crowell says he cannot comment on the case or the judge's decision because the case is ongoing.

Crowell filed to dismiss the case in May, but he wouldn't agree to pay any attorney's fees. Judge Beckerman's decision Thursday forces him to pay reasonable fees and costs that Sheldon incurred while defending himself.

Perriguey says the fees for the case are about $10,000.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.