My ex-girlfriend stole my hard drive containing 10 years of music and wiped all the files from my computer. The hard drive contains thousands of hours of recordings, including my life’s work. She was living with me in Los Angeles but has now left to stay with her mom in Montreal. She has ghosted me and blocked all forms of communication.
I’ve earned around $10,000 from film scoring and music production and was about to release my first official album. This theft is causing me not only financial loss but also severe emotional distress. What legal actions can I take to recover my work or seek damages?
First, consult a data recovery expert to see if you can recover the wiped data. Then, consider suing her for damages, including the cost of data recovery and lost income.
You might be able to recover the files if she didn’t fully wipe the drive. Look into data recovery software like R-Studio. Just be sure not to use the affected drive until you attempt recovery.
This could fall under intellectual property law, especially if you’ve monetized your work. You should consult an intellectual property attorney who can assess potential damages based on lost income, and consider filing a civil suit.