Friday night, 11:30 PM. Mike torrented a movie. Just one. His wife wanted to watch something that wasn't on Netflix.
3 weeks later. Letter from his ISP: "Copyright Infringement Notice - Case #2024-PA-4782"
2 months later. Served with lawsuit papers. Malibu Media LLC vs John Doe. They wanted $150,000 for ONE MOVIE.
Mike's options:
1. Pay $150,000 (statutory maximum)
2. Fight in court ($50,000+ legal fees)
3. Settle for $7,500 (what he chose)
Cost of that "free" movie: $7,500 + public humiliation