A copyright-trolling attorney whose firm is in hot legal water for aggressively suing porn downloaders says he totally wants to respond to a reporter's tough questions, but he's too broken up right now by the death of South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela:

Paul Duffy, pictured at left, is a lawyer associated with Prenda Law, aka "The Anti-Piracy Law Group," which has made millions of dollars by tracing the IP addresses of web surfers who download X-rated films and suing them for copyright infringement. But the practice has backfired of late, as judges have slapped the firm with stiff fines for frivolous lawsuits and fudged documentation.

Ars Technica reporter Joe Mullin recently tried to catch up with Duffy and ask him about a particular case in which Prenda owes a San Jose internet user $22,531 in fees, but in a reply email, Duffy said he didn't want to talk about that:

I hope you are doing well. I am devastated by the loss of Nelson Mandela and I hope you join with President Obama in remembering his legacy. He ranks with Mohandes Ghandi, Dr. King and President Kennedy in the struggle for human rights over the past 50 years. There are larger issues than the ability to steal porn... You seem like a nice guy. Thanks.

Seriously, show some respect, Joe Mullin. Like Paul Duffy.

[Photo credits: fightcopyrighttrolls.com; AP]