Nah what will happen is Elservier will find all the other corporate entities that are also being linked to. Their lawyers will say these companies are “similarly situated” and seek to form a class. The class will end up being literally anyone who has their content being linked to. Then their lawyers will file motions of discovery. Those motions will seek every single piece of information conceivable in regards to how the information was linked. Computer make and model. Software installed. Who did it when where why and how. It’ll be a flood of paperwork. That’s how all major companies operate.
Example? This seems a very unusual scenario for a class action lawsuit to me, I can't think of a comparable example, involving corporations forming a class like this.
I don't think "That’s how all major companies operate," but if it is, it should be easy for you to find an example of a class action lawsuit like this?
(I agree that harrasment lawsuits where it is very expensive to defend regardless of your chances of victory -- are how all companies with enough money to do it operate. Just without the class action component).
My impression is that almost all class actions are filed by individuals on behalf of classes consisting primarily of individuals rather than companies. I'd be curious to see if you have a counterexample of companies abusing the class action process as plaintiffs.
