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11-Nation Raid on Net Pirates

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the won't-somebody-please-think-of-the-children dept.

Cobb writes "The US Justice Department announce a global crack-down on large scale internet pirates distributing first run movies. According to the article: "FBI agents and investigators in the other nations conducted 90 searches starting Wednesday, arresting four people and shutting down at least eight major online distribution servers for pirated works, a Justice official said. Authorities also seized hundreds of computers in raids in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom.""

43 of 487 comments (clear)

  1. That explains it... by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Interesting


    Authorities also seized hundreds of computers in raids in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

    Hmm....mabye that's why I haven't been able to telnet into my server at home all day... ^_^

    Seriously, though, Sweeden is conspicuously absent from the 11-nation 'coalition of the willing' listed above, which means that The Pirate Bay will be staying up, at least... =P

    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    1. Re:That explains it... by Emetophobe · · Score: 3, Informative

      Similarly, http://www.torrentspy.com/ and http://www.isohunt.com/ are still operational. Not sure what countries those two sites are hosted from though.

    2. Re:That explains it... by PDXNerd · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Perhaps Sweden had better things to do with their police force, like arrest murderes, rapists, and real criminals. Not to say Movie Piracy is legal (morals aside), but the amount of manpower and resources this takes is absolutely ludicrous for the overall payoff.

      It would be interesting to see how much money this saved the movie industry - errr, I mean cost the rest of us (i.e. taxpayers) to fund this joint venture.

    3. Re:That explains it... by computational+super · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You know, it's interesting how the punishment relates to the crime... every time I watch a DVD, it reminds me that the penalty for the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted works, including those not for commercial gain, are investigated by the FBI and punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. IIRC, that's the same penalty you get for the distribution of CP. Seems like our priorities are screwed up somewhere (one way or the other).

      --
      Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
    4. Re:That explains it... by epicstruggle · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "It would be interesting to see how much money this saved the movie industry - errr, I mean cost the rest of us (i.e. taxpayers) to fund this joint venture."

      Thats an interesting question, but your only looking at what it cost for the operations. It would be fair to hypothetically calculate the lost revenue the govermnent lost through taxation of legal sales.

      What i mean is that you pirate a game, no one really makes any money.
      If say 10% of those who pirate, actually went out and bought legal copies (went to theaters, ...) then the govermnent would get their share in taxes.

      --
      "Im drowning here, and you're describing the water!"
    5. Re:That explains it... by GutBomb · · Score: 4, Interesting

      swedish is not that hard to learn (take it from me, an american that lived there for 2 years and learned the language sometime during the first), and sweden is also the land of 100mbit internet connections for around $40 a month :D

      there is a antipiratbyran (anti-pirate beaurau) but there have been scandals involved with them, such as planting pirated software on corporate computers in order to get themselves in the news.

      New laws are being considered there that would help crack down on sites like the pirate bay, but they are not there yet.

    6. Re:That explains it... by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't think it'd be too hard to learn swedish.

      I believe it's just a matter of replacing Ws with Vs, extending the eeees, saying borgi-borgi-borgi a lot, and always talking about simple furniture and massages.

      But it would only be useful if you are into tall blondes, comfy surroundings, and appreciacion of common sense.

      --
      If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
    7. Re:That explains it... by Znork · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Of course, the money saved by the copyright infringers probably goes to consume other products, and probably products from some more competetive industry. Those purchases would probably also be taxed, and even better, they would quite likely employ more local people per spent unit of currency and create more wealth as almost every production chain is more efficient than the intellectual monopoly industries.

      So, as a whole, society quite probably gains from piracy.

    8. Re:That explains it... by thatnerdguy · · Score: 3, Informative

      i believe what he wanted to say was child porn

      --
      I saw the Sign, and it opened up my eyes
    9. Re:That explains it... by CaymanIslandCarpedie · · Score: 4, Funny

      Any money I save from pirating goes straight to booze and smokes! Govt makes much more money on those items, so they are losing money by trying to limit my pirating!

      --
      "reality has a well-known liberal bias" - Steven Colbert
    10. Re:That explains it... by Randseed · · Score: 3, Insightful
      What i mean is that you pirate a game, no one really makes any money. If say 10% of those who pirate, actually went out and bought legal copies (went to theaters, ...) then the govermnent would get their share in taxes.

      They do. The Matrix Revolutions comes out, and lines and crowds at the theatre are ridiculous. Maybe some people want to see the movie before it's totally spoiled by people talking about it, but can't because they actually have jobs, so they pirate it. A large percentage of them in this case will still go see it in the theatre, because it's part of the "experience."

      Computer games are similar, but for a different reason. You have no idea how many computer games I've bought that have just flat-out SUCKED, or wouldn't run, or were full of bugs. Because of that, I tend to pirate first, and if it's good, I buy it. Even if I didn't, the industry as a whole still got a lot of money it in no way deserved because I bought shitty products in the past.

      I'm not condoning the behavior. It's just more complicated and nowhere near as damaging as the industry would like you to believe.

  2. Gee, no China? by bensafrickingenius · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just can't believe our friends in the Chinese government didn't want to get in on this crackdown...

    --
    I am not left-handed, either!
    1. Re:Gee, no China? by no_opinion · · Score: 3, Informative

      You jest, but actually China is stepping up efforts due to international pressure.

  3. Coordination of Efforts by Deinhard · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is not meant to be a flame, but...

    If the US Justice Department can coordinate such an effort among 11 different nations and justice systems, why can't we find Osama Bin Laden?

    --
    Successfully condensing fact from the vapor of nuance since 1998.
    1. Re:Coordination of Efforts by derEikopf · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because Osama Bin Laden won't bring them money.

    2. Re:Coordination of Efforts by 00squirrel · · Score: 5, Informative
      If the US Justice Department can coordinate such an effort among 11 different nations and justice systems, why can't we find Osama Bin Laden?

      Bin Laden didn't pirate Star Wars did he? What do you think the Department of Homeland Security is supposed to be doing? They can't be bothered with people like Bin Laden when the real threat is people downloading MP3's. Read down the article for DHS involvement info.

    3. Re:Coordination of Efforts by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 3, Insightful


      I kind of hope they're holding him in secret right now and torturing him....

      References to torture aside (we're not supposed to be doing that...we're the good guys...aren't we?), if we did in fact have Osama in custody, do you honestly think the current administration would keep it a secret? Dubya would have hourly announcements going out about his latest 'victory' in his demented little 'war on terror'.

      Sure, I'm bitter. You'd be too, if you knew what I know.

      --
      ____

      ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    4. Re:Coordination of Efforts by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Insightful
      If the US Justice Department can coordinate such an effort among 11 different nations and justice systems, why can't we find Osama Bin Laden?

      As long as we're looking for Osama bin Laden, we have a valid pretext for continuing our agenda of social control. 'We need these extra powers to protect ourselves from terrorists. We mustn't be too squeamish about civil liberties. After all, Osama bin Laden is still out there.' Once we actually catch Osama bin Laden we suddenly have a problem. People will ask: 'Doesn't that mean the war is over?' That undermines the entire project.

      Therefore it's better to have a token search for Osama that occasionally turns up a suitably lunatic Arab whom we can market to the press as The Al-Qaeda Nth-In-Command, and meanwhile go ahead with the police state project and the Middle Eastern Imperial Oil Hegemony plan.

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    5. Re:Coordination of Efforts by Fareq · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I choose not to do evil things, because I am not evil, not because of some law that says I shouldn't.

      Therefore, I do not believe in torturing anyone, regardless of who they are, because torture is evil, and I am not.

  4. Just pirate bad movies by Trigun · · Score: 3, Funny

    Pirate the ones that the MPAA are unwilling to admit to making, and you're safe!

    Nobody ever got arrested for pirating 'Gigli'

    1. Re:Just pirate bad movies by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Funny
      If I was a Pirate I'd definitely want to make off with Jennifer Lopez's booty.

      Yarrrrrrrr

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  5. Not the first post! Woo hoo! by cshark · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I still don't see why they don't go after the real pirates, who make and distribute these things commercially, and mostly in foreign countries. Seems to me that the non net pirates are probably a bigger threat. But they wouldn't need an international crack down force to find them (just walk through manhatten sometime), so I imagine they have to spend money on something. A shame.

    --

    This signature has Super Cow Powers

    1. Re:Not the first post! Woo hoo! by Vodak · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The reason they go after the online community is simple. The current beleif is that everyone eho downloads a movie, mp3, or game is a direct sales deduction for the bottom line.

      Using that structure of thought.. in the grand scheme of things. The guys on the corenr selling these copies are little fish in the big internet pond. Hell, you might even stop a couple of them pirates too since alot of these guys are just downloading them from the interweb as well.

      Big scale pirates? Well China is our(US) allie right.

  6. 11 nations, 90 raids by Haenk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and only 4 people arrested? Man, industry seems to be able to buy a lot of "justice" nowadays...

    1. Re:11 nations, 90 raids by Infinityis · · Score: 5, Funny

      Either that, or the people pirating watched a lot of action movies that featured REALLY good escapes...

  7. Maybe the MPAA listened... by slapout · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...to Wil Wheaton:

    "I'm no expert, but it seems like the MPAA would get a much bigger return on their investment if they stopped going after college students and went after the factories that turn out legitimate movies by day, and switch over to pirated material at night."

    --From the Wil Wheaton Slashdot interview
    http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/0 6/27/0926218/

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  8. 11-Nation RAID? by ndansmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, an 11 nation RAID? Now that is redundancy!

  9. New Tshirt for sale! by gosand · · Score: 5, Funny
    If the US Justice Department can coordinate such an effort among 11 different nations and justice systems, why can't we find Osama Bin Laden?

    Makes me want make the Tshirt:

    Osama Bin Laden is pirating music
    NOW will you go catch the fucker?

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

    1. Re:New Tshirt for sale! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Osama Bin Laden is pirating music
      NOW will you go catch the fucker?

      Between you and me, strictly off the record of course :) NO

      You see, Osama is our boy. He was funded and trained by the CIA. The master plan is to take away your rights and freedom, as well as to centralize power so only a few people have all the money and power. So the rich need a boogeyman, something to threaten the people with, a scapegoat. Some event will happen, "terrorist act", and immediately afterwards, they'll start pointing a finger at their scapegoat, no evidence... 9/11 (reichstag fire), blame the terrorists (blame the commies), what's the difference here?

      You people better give up your rights, we're passing the the patriot act, real-id act, etc etc, until there is a full on police state, if you object, well something bad might just happen to your beautiful city here see? Oh watch out, that evil boogey man Osama Bin Laden is gonna get you. Aren't you glad that you have us, along with all these police, and surveillence technology to protect you?

  10. Great! Now the world is a better place... by presarioD · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... for the corporations to arbitrate and exploit (legally) with the backup of politicians and law enforcement agencies.

    I knew it that my crazy uncle was right when he said that:

    police is there to protect the rich from the poor. Nothing else.

    Don't worry uncle I have faith in the system. For each pirate server they shut down, three more will spring out.



    On other news today: Software piracy in its last throes. Exclusive interview with Joe Sixpack Pirate. Administrator officials have been regularly holding meetings with pirates...

    --
    Yam, yam, uga booga, yam, yam, yade, yade, uga booga, yam, yam, yade, yade
    1. Re:Great! Now the world is a better place... by micromuncher · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Your uncle was totally correct. The police exist to keep the law abiding citizens in line, because when They figure out that something is actually messed up, They are the threat that needs to be controlled.

      In our city, of the 2 top revenue generating civic agencies, were...
      1) the police department
      2) the transit system

      Why does it seem I was the only one to think that it was really wrong for these "public services" to turn a profit?

      --
      /\/\icro/\/\uncher
  11. Don't see any effect by JohanV · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When they raided last year in Operation Fastlink I saw some significant changes in traffic patterns. This time, I am not seeing anything.

  12. Have to... by mogrify · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm gonna fight 'em all
    Eleven-nation army couldn't hold me back
    I'm gonna rip it off
    Taking their films right behind their back ...
    And if I catch 'em coming back my way
    I'm gonna serve 'em to you
    And that aint what they want to hear
    But thats what I'll do ...

    --
    perl -e 'foreach(values %SIG){$_="IGNORE";}while(){}'
  13. The Article by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Informative
    The Associated Press Updated: 3:16 p.m. ET June 30, 2005

    WASHINGTON - The government announced an 11-nation crackdown Thursday on Internet piracy organizations responsible for stealing copies of the latest Star Wars film and other movies, games and software programs worth at least $50 million.

    FBI agents and investigators in the other nations conducted 90 searches starting Wednesday, arresting four people, seizing hundreds of computers and shutting down at least eight major online distribution servers for pirated works.

    The 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.

    Called Operation Site Down, the crackdown involved undercover FBI operations run out of Chicago, San Francisco and Charlotte, N.C., and involved help from authorities in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

    Among those arrested was Chirayu Patel of Fremont, Calif., on charges of violating federal copyright protection laws. Patel is alleged to be a member of a "warez" group, a kind of underground Internet co-op that is set up to trade in copyrighted materials.

    Warez (pronounced "wares") groups are extraordinarily difficult to infiltrate because users talk only in encrypted chat rooms, their computer servers require passwords and many are located overseas, the FBI has said.

    The investigations targeted "release groups" that are the original sources of pirated works that can be distributed worldwide in hours. Among the warez groups targeted are RiSCISO, Myth, TDA, LND, Goodfellaz, Hoodlum, Vengeance, Centropy, Wasted Time, Paranoid, Corrupt, Gamerz, AdmitONE, Hellbound, KGS, BBX, KHG, NOX, NFR, CDZ, TUN and BHP.

    Those groups are believed responsible for stealing and distributing copyrighted works including films "Star War Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and Autodesk's Autocad 2006 and Adobe's Photoshop software.

    Warez groups differ from popular file-swapping networks, where millions of files are shared without precautions to limit access.

    Last month, authorities shut down a popular Web site that facilitated the downloading of movies and other materials. Investigators said many of the copyright movies were available through the Elite Torrents site even before their commercial release. No arrests were announced at the time.

    President Bush signed a new law last month setting tough penalties of up to 10 years in prison for anyone caught distributing a movie or song before its commercial release.

    Though I'm not up-to-date on my "warez" kn0wl3dge
    Myth and Centropy are old skool and HUGE.

    as of 5/31 "Rumors have it that Centropy is going INTERNAL on all future releases"
    Looks like too little, too late.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  14. What'd be cool... by CrazyJim2 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...is if they made a MMORPG where you could get xp for reporting pirates. That way you could turn in your friends who run ftp servers full of games and movies for epic level items. There are a lot of MMORPG players out there and I'm sure they could catch all the pirates. You could call the game "Buccaneer's Bounty" and it could be awesome. If I wasn't so busy inventing True A.I. I'd probably make that game myself. If properly marketed it could make billions!

    --
    "But theres things mightier than a sword, and there are things mightier than pens. Guns and rap." - CrazyJim1
  15. 10 years in prison? by Electric+Eye · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Also...
    So the law signed by Pres. Howdy Doody says a file/movie pirate can spend ten YEARS in jail?? Yet, people who rape and murder often get less. I see now that our priorities are finally straight. How much faster can we go downhill?

  16. July 4th Weekend by kid_wonder · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder if they planned this crackdown timeframe with the MPAA so that the 'big' movie releases wouldn't be 'harmed' from the piracy of their movies?

    It seems a little conspicuous

    --

    "Oh, you hate your job? There's a support group for that, it's called everyone, they meet at the bar."
  17. Whew! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Good thing you can get 10 years in prison for pirating a movie... and only 5 for raping a child. Our society sure has it priorities straight!

  18. Profits up! by IdleTime · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, at least we will be able to see the great effect this has on *AA's bottom line. If they don't report several billion dollar increase in revenue, I'd be shocked! Shocked, I'm tellin' ya'...

    --
    If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!
  19. Well worth the man hours. by g0bshiTe · · Score: 4, Informative
    "According to the article: "FBI agents and investigators in the other nations conducted 90 searches starting Wednesday, arresting four people and shutting down at least eight major online distribution servers for pirated works, a Justice official said."


    This is a worthwhile venture for citizens tax dollars.

    All the effort put forth, planning, execution. And they managed to get 4 really hardened criminals off the streets.

    In an unrelated story, 700 elderly people died in the US today, from heat stroke after having their power turned off because they couldn't pay their bill.
    --
    I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  20. That explains the 6:30am RCMP visit (seriously) by Rikardon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My wife and I manage an apartment building; yesterday the RCMP showed up at 6:30am asking for a suite master key. They had a search warrant, so we gave them the key. When I left for work later that morning, they were loading about a dozen PCs into a minivan.

    They had told us it was a large, coordinated effort, so seeing the computers my first thought was child porn. We have two kids, 5 and 3, so at that point I wanted to know which of our tenants it was. They assured us it was nothing of the sort, however, so I declined to press further (the guy's innocent until proven guilty, after all, and while a warrant means probable cause it wasn't for something violent). I assumed it was something like this announcement -- most likely, I thought, selling DVDs of software and movies on eBay or in the local classified paper, i.e. profiting from piracy, rather than facilitating individual copying. Looks like I got it only partly right.

  21. Real Pirates? by SlightlyOldGuy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I thought Real Pirates did things like taking over ships at sea and murdering their crews. This is a nasty craime that still takes place in some parts of the world. How did this term get attached to copyright violations? Should we be using it?

  22. Done and Done by Flumbo · · Score: 3, Informative

    Get yer tshirts! http://www.cafepress.com/amalgamatedimag