A U.S. Department of Justice crackdown on online piracy (Operation FastLink) has recorded its 50th felony conviction, the agency announced. Christopher E. Eaves, 31, of Iowa Park, Texas, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement for his involvement in the Apocalypse Crew, an online organization offering music downloads before their public release. Eaves faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine and is scheduled to be sentenced August 10.
Operation FastLink is an ongoing DOJ crackdown against the organized piracy groups responsible for most of the initial illegal distribution of copyrighted movies, software, games and music on the Internet. Operation FastLink has resulted in more than 120 search warrants executed in 12 countries, the confiscation of hundreds of computers and illegal online distribution hubs, and the removal of more than $50 million worth of content from illegal distribution channels.
News source: InfoWorld
Operation FastLink is an ongoing DOJ crackdown against the organized piracy groups responsible for most of the initial illegal distribution of copyrighted movies, software, games and music on the Internet. Operation FastLink has resulted in more than 120 search warrants executed in 12 countries, the confiscation of hundreds of computers and illegal online distribution hubs, and the removal of more than $50 million worth of content from illegal distribution channels.
News source: InfoWorld
And who said that the number of distributers is not in the millions? There are six billion people on this earth, and one million of that is 0.0167%...
The ironic thing is that the software and record companies have gotten the government to do their dirty work for them -- i.e., by lobbying congress and getting laws that they themselves wrote passed, it's now a felony to distribute their software. And the US Taxpayer pays for this protection. Seems a bit odd to me...
RIAA blah blah blah...
This is not related to that. These are bonafide theives, they're out to make a living selling pirated things. $50 million worth isn't what Mary in the University is downloading.
I prefer this to the RIAA taking the law into their owns hands, can't we all agree on that?
I find it disturbing that people like him get more time in jail than most hardened criminals. It's even more disturbing to me that law enforcement is putting so much effort into things like this when it should be going after the more serious offenders. Our legal system boggles my mind.
Look at all the trouble Shane got into over his trouble. While he did deserve punishment, he didn't deserve anywhere near what he got.
I find it disturbing that people like him get more time in jail than most hardened criminals. It's even more disturbing to me that law enforcement is putting so much effort into things like this when it should be going after the more serious offenders. Our legal system boggles my mind.
Look at all the trouble Shane got into over his trouble. While he did deserve punishment, he didn't deserve anywhere near what he got.
What do you expect from the laws from American? One of the many reasons why many jails are overcrowded too
and the sad thing about it is they get MORE time than some of the more serious crimes... dont make sence in a sane persons mind! ... it probably all boils down to money over sanity as usual.... sad that there more concerned with money over peoples safety!
You know why? Taking a life and all that goes with it is not that expensive in terms of money, but this is. Overall, quite pathetic where printed paper notes are valued above a life...
At this rate they've have wiped out piracy sometime after the universe come to an end.
I held up a bunch of liquor stores and shot some people. You?
I illegaly uploaded some music.
Best. Reply. Ever.
I held up a bunch of liquor stores and shot some people. You?
I illegaly uploaded some music.
Unfortunetly there are people who think the crimes are the same... which is pathetic. Its what society has come to anymore in America. Our solution to everything is how long we can lock the person up for, no matter what they did.
Many times the punishment is even worse than the crime itself. Many of these Judges and Prosecutors need to be locked up for this abuse of our justice system.
Now, I do not advocate piracy, but instead of jailing these people and further overcrowding prisons, they should heavily fine them and give them something like 500 hours of community service and ban them from using a PC for a few years or allow them to use it but under surveillance.
this make MUCH more sense than screwing em over in prison where they probably get messed up things done to there rear end etc etc etc.
although the people who pirating the stuff and SELLING it are pretty stupid to start out with... cause when u start selling it is when i believe the major issue comes into play.
And you're right, throwing these people in prison won't do much for them or for society. I say they work off their debt to society by doing x hours of community service and, of course, paying up some cash.
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