Served by Private Investigator with a formal Copyright Infringement Notice from ACE
I am a 19-year-old student. Today, a private investigator came to my apartment and hand-delivered a "Notice of Infringement of Copyright" from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). And asked for some info about me.
The documents name me personally and allege that I am operating several unauthorized movie/TV streaming websites.
The Situation:
- I am 100% innocent: I have absolutely no connection to the websites listed in the notice. I do not own, operate, or assist them in any way.
- The Demands: The notice demands that I disable the services and transfer the domains to them immediately.
- Safety: I have already contacted local police to verify the investigator's visit.
My Questions:
- Since this is a case of mistaken identity, what is the safest way to respond to ACE without accidentally "validating" their incorrect data?
- I am a student with no assets. How likely is this to actually escalate to a federal lawsuit if I provide proof (hosting dashboard logs) that I don't own these domains?
- I am waiting to hear back from my University’s Student Legal Services. Is there anything I should—or absolutely should not—do in the next 24 hours?
I have documentation ready to prove these domains are not in my account. Any advice on how to get a massive organization like ACE to acknowledge a technical error and drop the claim would be appreciated.
Location: Idaho