How to fight copyright trolls?

Seek the advice of an attorney who can defend you. This is not something you want to do on your own. It could cost you $150,000 that way. An attorney will likely cost a lot less then that.

Your primary options are to retain counsel or consider filing for bankruptcy protection.

If you have been served, you need to retain an attorney now. This is not a DIY project. Your rights and your strategy depend entirely on the claim and the issues. There are no step-by-step directions to six figure lawsuits.

So a copyright owner who asserts its rights against someone who unlawfully copies the [very expensive to create] copyright-protected work is a "troll"? Hmm. A rose by any other name ... If you choose to rationalize your intentional unlawful conduct by disparaging the copyright owner you certainly can -- but that's childish. There are very few circumstances nowadays when the alleged infringer is actually innocent. Yes, a very few bad actors assert questionable infringement claims which can fairly be characterized as scams. And some bad actors assert legitimate infringement claims but do so with incivility and heavy-handed tactics -- which aren't scams because the alleged infringer is, nearly always, in fact an infringer. I have little doubt that you are an infringer. The consequences are that you can be, and should be, sued. Your response has to be to hire your own attorney to defend the lawsuit -- or short-circuit its initiation by a settlement.

You seek out IP counsel, preferably with a litigation practice, and you discuss the best course of action in your particular case. I mean I'm sure can appreciate that the answer to "how you deal with it" depends on whether you are driving a Range Rover, live in a beautiful home in Cheeseman Park and have valuable assets as opposed to deep in debt and can barely scape bus fare together. Again, I suggest that you consult with a lawyer in private and discuss your best options in more detail. You can start by calling around to several for a free phone consultation, get some insights then pick the best fit to work with. Best regards, Frank Natoli-Lapin, LLC