A man using the name Matthew Schneider filed a copyright lawsuit last September against six major private torrent trackers, including PassThePopcorn, BroadcasTheNet and HDBits, claiming to be an independent filmmaker whose work was being pirated. The case had sought to unmask the trackers' operators via Cloudflare, but it unravelled after the trackers told the court that the real filmmaker behind the cited films had sworn he had no connection to the lawsuit, prompting suspicion that the plaintiff is actually a banned tracker user seeking revenge.

Facing a judge's warning of possible sanctions for a frivolous or deceptive claim, the plaintiff voluntarily dropped the case this week, but that may not spare him. Defence lawyer Erin Russell said at least one defendant will still pursue sanctions, and evidence tied to the plaintiff's email address suggests he was previously banned from a private tracker for selling or trading invites. At the next hearing, scheduled for 2 October, the plaintiff must appear on camera and provide a copy of the film he claims to have made, along with a sworn affidavit, as the court tries to establish his true identity.