Thinking about it properly, What are Odex's products that they
want to claim damages from?
The anime? No. If you look porperly, Odex is a SUB-LICENSE owner of
the anime. THat means, Odex have no rights on the anime itself.
What Odex has rights over is the stuff they sell. The CDs, the box
cover and their crappy subtitles.
So what did any of the "illegal downloaders" steal from Odex to
create damages? People download fansubs which consists of the anime
and subtitles buy the fansubs. Did the downloaders copy the Odex's
box cover? Did the downloaders copy Odex's CD design? Did the
downloaders copy Odex's crappy subtitles?
If the answers for the 3 above question is "NO", then Odex have no
rights to sue people in the 1st place.
And since Odex has no rights to sue the downloaders in the 1st
place, sending any threats for money sounds something like
something from the Penal code.
Extortion (Penal Code, Cap 224, Sec 383)
Whoever intentionally puts any person in fear of any injury* to
that person or to any other, and thereby dishonestly induces the
person so put in fear to deliver to any person any property or
valuable security, or anything signed or sealed which may be
converted into a valuable security, commits extortion.
Illustrations
(a) ODEX threatens to publish a defamatory libel concerning
DOWNLOADER, unless DOWNLOADER gives him (ODEX) money. He thus
induces DOWNLOADER to give him money. ODEX has committed
"extortion".
Simpler terms: Since Odex has no rights is sueing people, Odex is
now unlawfully threatening people for money.
*injury = injury to mind, body, reputation or property
And Extortion is a seizable offence i.e. can be arrested without a
warrant
