Re: "This whole scheme is a pretext for doing collective punishment..."
I was thinking along the same lines. Although I'd reckon on the Right Side of the Pond, the £Corp would know its entitlement and only take a legal stance well-confident of that, or concede and settle. The UK lawyers (assuming prosecution) wouldn't bother in that situation, they'd be outed and laughed at. There are unscrupulous firms though. I really don't know, but it seems to me that on the Left Side, lawyers will create a shit storm regardless.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
