This Comment takes the position that the unscrupulous activitiesof copyright trolls should be curbed. Part II of this Comment willlook at the business model used by copyright trolls involved in
BitTorrent copyright litigation. The most crucial aspects of “thesettlement letter factory” model are highlighted, including: joiningtogether alleged infringers of the copyrighted work into a single
lawsuit for discovery purposes; expedited discovery requests to revealthe true identities of the anonymous defendants; and the sending ofominous settlement offers that are designed to induce settlementwithout the need for trial. Part III sets forth a multi-faceted andpragmatic approach to help eradicate the problem of copyright trolls.The solution is grounded in the acknowledgment of the vastlydifferent stakeholders involved—indeed, for every copyright troll hoping to extort easy money out of unsuspecting citizens, there is likely a genuine content creator interested in protecting the market for his work. Similarly, for every factually innocent defendant who should not be made to choose between fighting the false charges in court or settling, there is likely a bona fide copyright infringer who knowingly and willingly broke the law and thus should be punished.The solution attempts to balance these competing interests byshowing different ways in which the copyright troll can be hindered while still leaving the core of copyright enforcement intact. The solution encourages judges to inquire into the motives and practices of BitTorrent copyright plaintiffs, and emphasizes the discretion judges have over such cases. Part IV concludes that copyright protections should be encouraged in the digital age but that there is fine line between overzealous copyright defenders and copyright trolls