He, not being very good at math, took about seven or eight seconds to figure it out.
Two thousand six hundred people, five thousand each in compensation... Thatâs about 13 million!
Upon hearing this, several dark lines couldnât help but appear on Qin Muâs forehead.
He patiently explained, "Itâs not that outrageous. After all, not everyone is entitled to the maximum compensation of five thousand."
For minor offenses with limited dissemination, the general compensation was 2,000 yuan.
But for widespread dissemination, or in particularly malicious cases with repeated insults and sharing, it was highly likely they could be awarded 5,000 yuan in compensation.
Liang Chengbin swallowed hard.
He still found it hard to believe what Qin Mu had just described. It was just too fantastical.
Bai Xuelan and Hua Li were equally dumbfounded, completely stunned.
For a while, the entire law firm fell into silence.
"âAHEM, if I may add,â
Zhang Wei finally interjected with a dry cough, âWith all due respect, suing all these people seems a bit unrealistic.â
He admired Qin Muâs bold idea, but still, from a practical standpoint, he analyzed seriously, âFirst of all, the litigation fees alone for suing two thousand six hundred people would be astronomical. Even calculated at the minimum standard, it would require at least 20 million to be paid upfront. Litigation fees include not only the courtâs case review fees but also investigation costs, witness appearance fees, appraisal fees, and so on. If the defendants are local, the legal expenses would be much lower. If the defendants are from different regions or online... the legal expenses will be considerably higher. Twenty millionâand thatâs my most conservative estimate!
Secondly, investigating, gathering evidence, and pinpointing IP addresses for two thousand six hundred people is extremely difficult and requires a lengthy investigation period. And the longer such cases drag on, the harder it becomes to secure evidence and identify the actual defamers.â
Defamation cases also have a statute of limitations. In criminal law, itâs five years. In civil law, itâs three years. This means that after three years, even if you want to sue, you can no longer claim compensation. After five years, if you sue, the court wonât even accept the case.
Moreover, two thousand six hundred defendantsâthatâs just insane. The people at the prosecutorâs office... theyâd probably have a breakdown. Just verifying IP addresses and identifying suspects would take at least one or two years. And this would require one to two years of continuous investigation, without looking into any other cases during that time. In such circumstances, the court might very well consider the lack of judicial resources and refuse to file the case. After all... if they actually prosecuted two thousand six hundred defendants and convicted them, there wouldnât be enough prison space.
"
"No problem, Iâve considered all that. The litigation fees have been gathered. As for the IP address identification and investigation issues..."
Qin Mu smiled and continued, "I happened to meet a hacker. He has helped me locate the IP addresses of these cyberbullies over the past few days, and I can submit them to the court along with the report materials."
His âfriend,â of course, was the systemâs "Void Reconnaissance" feature.
In this incident, this ability demonstrated its exceptional power for the first time. It could precisely pinpoint the commenterâs location and identity informationâabsolutely accurate, without any errors.
After listening, Zhang Wei suddenly didnât know what to say. He felt a bit dazed.
Qin Mu had resolved the two most difficult parts, so suing the entire internet really was possible.
As long as the evidence of cyberbullying could be provided, the court would have no reason to reject filing the case.
"So, the key issue now is, do you want to join in and fight this lawsuit together?"
Following that, Qin Mu turned to Bai Xuelan, Liang Chengbin, and Hua Li. The other three were also involved and had the right to assert their own claims.
"Iâm in!" Liang Chengbin exclaimed, the first to stand up. Qin Mu had already done so much; he had no reason not to agree.
Of course, the compensation Qin Mu mentioned also greatly appealed to him.
If they could indeed get the compensation, their familyâs life would improve tremendously. Perhaps they could buy their own house in Jin City. Then he could bring his son over to live and study in peace and security. Everything... could potentially develop in a better direction.
"Weâre in too!"
Bai Xuelan and Hua Li exchanged glances and then voiced their stance. Both had suffered from the distress of cyberbullying.
To say they werenât furious would be a lie. These trolls... they wished they could lock them all away!
"In that case, I will organize the complaint and evidentiary materials tomorrow and go to the court the day after to file the lawsuit."
With that, Qin Mu nodded, having settled the time with the three of them.
Defamation could indeed be grounds for a lawsuit, but it also required sufficient materials to prove that the other party had defamed and personally attacked you online. Therefore, the complaint materials were essential, as were the two thousand six hundred IP records and two thousand six hundred formal complaints. He would need a lot of time to prepare them.
Suing the entire internet... itâs a massive undertaking. By comparison, suing sixty people before was childâs play.
Subsequently, after discussing the necessary arrangements, Qin Mu and the three others left Zhang Weiâs law office.
Zhang Wei remained seated, lost in deep thought for a long time. His mind was still replaying the scene from moments ago.
Suing the entire internetâit was something he had never heard of, never seen. But one thing was foreseeable... Jin City... it wouldnât be long before it attracted national attention!