aken ▁by ▁Media ▁Def ender . ▁ ▁Den ial - of - service ▁attacks ▁A i plex ▁Software , ▁an ▁India - based ▁technology ▁company , ▁revealed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁made ▁den ial - of - service ▁attacks ▁on ▁tor rent ▁hosting ▁websites ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁movie ▁stud ios . ▁ ▁Internet ▁activ ists ▁ret ali ated ▁against ▁A i plex ▁and ▁industry ▁trade ▁groups ▁with ▁den ial - of - service ▁attacks ▁of ▁their ▁own , ▁coordin ated ▁through ▁Operation ▁Pay back . ▁ ▁Law su its ▁against ▁individuals ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁through ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁Rec ording ▁Indust ry ▁Association ▁of ▁America ▁( RI AA ) ▁saw ▁law su its ▁against ▁individual ▁consum ers ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁combat ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁Internet - based ▁copy right ▁in fr ing ement . ▁R I AA ▁President ▁C ary ▁Sh erman ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁law su its ▁file d ▁has ▁" arr ested ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁a ▁run away ▁solution ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁grown ▁worse ▁and ▁worse ." ▁As ▁of ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁R I AA ▁had ▁brought ▁law su its ▁against ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁sus pected ▁of ▁distrib uting ▁copy right ed ▁works . ▁ ▁Yet , ▁through ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁album ▁sales ▁continued ▁to ▁decl ine ▁from ▁their ▁ 1 9 9 9