Authorities in 11 countries, including Canada, carried out raids Wednesday that were aimed at stopping the illegal distribution of first-run movies and other copyrighted material over the internet. Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as investigators around the world, took part in 90 searches that resulted in the arrests of four people.
The U.S. Justice Department "is striking at the top of the copyright piracy supply chain – a distribution chain that provides the vast majority of illegal digital content now available online," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said. Eight major servers used to distribute pirated materials were also shut down.