SG -- I am certain that is what they were banking on. My first contact with Getty made it very clear that they were interested in getting the money and not so much about getting the story straight.
I also wonder if the shifting tide in public opinion has motivated them to change tactics and possibly lighten up. In the last two weeks I've seen more coverage about the issue of trolling. NPR's "This American Life" had an excellent and ironic story about patent trolls (worth hunting down). And last week the LA Weekly had an article about Piracy Trolls -- lawyers suing on behalf of film companies for illegal downloads of movies -- based on a users IP number. And of course I expect this board has helped a great deal informing people on how to respond and what their options are.
The Weekly article told of some sanctions that were taken against some of the lawyers when the judge learned of their strong-arm techniques.
Anyway, the intent of my long story wasn't to gloat (although I am very happy.) I hope it gives people here a feeling that they can and should fight if they feel they are in the right.