U.S. Cracks Down on Internet Piracy big time

[BJ_M]

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 responside 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





Note: you are much better off to get into high level corporate fraud, where you can steal 100's of millions of $$$ and serve less than 10 years and still have money left when you get out .... or just rob banks ...

[stiltman]

I guess I've been away from the scene tooo long, because I only recognized the name of one of those "release groups" listed

[beric3236]

Author BJ_M wrote:

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 .

I wonder if this includes those stores who are famous for breaking street dates on movie releases, and then say "Our clerks don't know what they are doing."

[waheed]

penalties of up to 10 years in prison for anyone caught distributing a movie or song before its commercial release

Note: you are much better off to get into high level corporate fraud, where you can steal 100's of millions of $$$ and serve less than 10 years and still have money left when you get out .... or just rob banks ...

I can just see it now, a conversation between two prisoners:

Cellmate 1: Im doin 5 years for armed robbery. What you in for?

Cellmate 2: Im in for uploading an MP3 and doin 10 years

Cellmate 1: WTF????

Its a crazy world

[handyguy]

I wish the FBI would spend their time doing other, more important stuff.

[BJ_M]

Author BJ_M wrote:

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 .

I wonder if this includes those stores who are famous for breaking street dates on movie releases, and then say "Our clerks don't know what they are doing."

you know - that is a good point , as many movies are out before the official date .. and what is the diff?

[stiltman]

I guess I've been away from the scene tooo long, because I only recognized the name of one of those "release groups" listed

Opps, didn't know these are almost all DVD release group....That would explain alot

[lumis]

RiSCISO = probably software by the "iso" in their name
Myth = software
TDA = software
LND = ?
Goodfellaz = ?
Hoodlum = software
Vengeance = ?
Centropy = good quality telesync's, dvdr's
Wasted Time = telesyncs/cams
Paranoid = ?
Corrupt = dvdr's
Gamerz = hmmm :P ?
AdmitONE = by the looks of their names, movies.. but i've never heard of them
Hellbound = software
KGS = ?
BBX = ?
KHG = ?
NOX = crappy cams/telesyncs
NFR = ?
CDZ = ?
TUN = decent cam/telesyncs
BHP = dvdr's

i'm guessing some of the one's that i dont know are xvid/divx release groups..

not that i download warez or anything evil like that..

[BJ_M]

TDA also does movies and dvdrs , LND does cadcam software exclusivly, Goodfellaz does movies -- i have no idea who some of these groups are .... i just googled the names to figure it out ..

[AlecWest]

Author BJ_M wrote:

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 .

I wonder if this includes those stores who are famous for breaking street dates on movie releases, and then say "Our clerks don't know what they are doing."

you know - that is a good point , as many movies are out before the official date .. and what is the diff?

A couple of differences. In regards to movies, and except for direct-to-DVD releases, all movies have "commercial releases" in theaters. So, if a store sells a DVD before its street date, it wouldn't matter since the movie had already been "commercially released."

But, on direct-to-DVD movies or music, this new law could have an interesting effect if stores do jump street dates. Of course, this all depends on how the law is "worded." For example, if the projected street date for a CD release is October 1st and a pirate is arrested on September 30th for distributing it, all his lawyer has to do is find one store that jumped the street date ... one store that started selling the CD commercially before the illegal distribution took place. The guy could still be found guilty of piracy. But finding that one store could let the guy escape the harsher penalty. One sale in a legitimate store, even against the wishes of the distributor, would constitute a "commercial release."

[DVD Polizei]

I think Bush should be more concerned with fighting terrorists, than teenagers who downloaded an illegal Star Wars movie.

Oh wait a minute. Bush isn't winning the "War On Terror", so he must find something which has no power to fight back at all: Kids.

I guess if he can't even win this one, he'll create a special Patriot Act for babies, sentencing themto Gitmo if they lose their pacifiers.

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
No politics!
/ Moderator lordsmurf

[Mr anderson]

ten years for someone whom hands out or sells a film or be it a music cd before it hits the market, but for someone who rape's someone gets less, where have we gone wrong in this world!!!!!!!!!

[Bondiablo]

CDs and DVDs cost money, rape is free. It's all about priorities.

[thecrock]

People are making their own minds up about whether or not to watch movies at the theatre by watching pirate movies first, if the film is any good in the first place then people will shell out to go to the movies after watching a pirate copy of it. Most blockbusters are shit these days and this is really what is worrying movie companys, they are scared of having a big flop because people already know that their product is a bag of shite.

[DereX888]

gimme a break...

at THIS moment:
(image removed by moderator)

"crackdown on piracy" ?
ELEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE are downloading current blockbuster, from just one (out of many available) torrent trackers on the web, JUST AT THIS MOMENT, so... where is this 'crackdown'? LOL, I'd hardly call it bullsh*t

Please, no more 'news' like this, unless they really crack down on some illegal chinese dvd factory where they make exellent quality pirated discs. If them idiots from CIA or FBI or whomever are really interested in 'crackdown on piracy' (and they offer some large reward ofcourse) I am willing to take another trip to HK and mainland China and show them exactly where these 'factories' are located
But I guess it would be too much of a hassle for them lazy government agents. After all kids are way easier target

[Mr anderson]

Yeah that's true!

[lumis]

derex888,

you might want to becareful posting images like that.. especially ones that give out the file name.. i got a yellow card for posing file names of LOST HR HDTV releases.

its been a couple of months, and i've been good, can some mod reading that please remove my yellow card?

[waheed]

Derex888, I would get rid of that pic asap, before you get carded.

The pic is considered as a link to warez.

[waheed]

its been a couple of months, and i've been good, can some mod reading that please remove my yellow card?

PM the mod that card you and he may remove the card.

[rgs_uk]

Mr Bush is very concerned about his big business friends losing any cash. He is not that worried about individual citizens getting raped, robbed or killed because those people are just one vote less for him compared to of millions of Dollars to his campaign funds from businesses.

Terrorists, porn, file sharing -- all distractions. The real issue is global warming. However that might impact on his oil company friends.

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
/ Moderator BJ_M

[BJ_M]

no more politics of that nature or thread will be locked ..

thanks ....

[DereX888]

Derex888, I would get rid of that pic asap, before you get carded.

The pic is considered as a link to warez.

The picture is a picture, not a link.
Anyone capable of typing can google current blockbuster movie's title with filetype:torrent and get links to about 180 torrent files of this movie. I don't see anything wrong with the picture. Search results are not warez, lets not get paranoid.


EDIT:
What is this in your sig? What does it mean? Ive seen it already few times, is this supposed to be some hacked png picture or somethin? (Im too lazy to check since I know no one is able to hack *my* puter hehe, but Im curious )

[Noahtuck]

Derex888, I would get rid of that pic asap, before you get carded.

The pic is considered as a link to warez.

The picture is a picture, not a link.
Anyone capable of typing can google current blockbuster movie's title with filetype:torrent and get links to about 180 torrent files of this movie. I don't see anything wrong with the picture. Search results are not warez, lets not get paranoid.

Edit: Just to clarify, i am agreeing with you... but.....

[Sillyname]

DELETE IT ALL!!!

Let God sort it out!

[lumis]

Derex888, I would get rid of that pic asap, before you get carded.

The pic is considered as a link to warez.

The picture is a picture, not a link.
Anyone capable of typing can google current blockbuster movie's title with filetype:torrent and get links to about 180 torrent files of this movie. I don't see anything wrong with the picture. Search results are not warez, lets not get paranoid.


EDIT:
What is this in your sig? What does it mean? Ive seen it already few times, is this supposed to be some hacked png picture or somethin? (Im too lazy to check since I know no one is able to hack *my* puter hehe, but Im curious )

i've seen these around message boards for the longest time, waheed uses one (which is the one that drove me over the edge, inspired me, whatever).. anyhow, a real one (like waheed's) displays your ip address, o/s & browser.. people who use it think they're cool or want to scare noobs or something.. i find them more annoying than anything.. so i did a screen cap & inserted my own message.. its just a simple image file, not attached to some script that figures out your ip, o/s & browser.. just making fun of the people who use them basically

[DVD Polizei]

I think downloading movies is wrong and people should be arrested.

[rgs_uk]

no more politics of that nature or thread will be locked ..

thanks ....

OK I apologise and I get the message. I think it's best I don't post on this board anymore. Formal warning is well over the top for a simple (and first) mistake.

[waheed]

Derex888, I would get rid of that pic asap, before you get carded.

The pic is considered as a link to warez.

The picture is a picture, not a link.
Anyone capable of typing can google current blockbuster movie's title with filetype:torrent and get links to about 180 torrent files of this movie. I don't see anything wrong with the picture. Search results are not warez, lets not get paranoid.

I realise that. But the pic does contains a partial address to the torrent site. I only mentioned it because when thepiratebay go shut down and re-opened again, my post was edited by a mod to remove even mentioning the web address, though not even mentioning any torrent file.

If a mod is ok with it, I guess then its ok.

[lordsmurf]

I'm not okay with it, and we don't need pictures of it.

[DereX888]

I'm not okay with it, and we don't need pictures of it.

smurfie, i know you love me so much you'll do anything to draw my attention, and i love you too, (i know, i have a room for 1 more of your cute yellow cards), but this is really getting out of hand. Picture intentionally has part of url cut out just for this reason I didnt paste a link - to not promote piracy. But complaining about a picture without complete link is like complaining about discussion on piracy because it may give some n00b an idea that such problem exists (in case n00b didn't knew it yet). It is paranoid IMO.

Anyway I love you too so I'll crop the picture just to show the number of downloaders. That way it still proofs what I wrote, and no one would complain I hope :/


EDIT:
duh, I see you removed it completely already :/
oh well...

.. just making fun of the people who use them basically

cool
Ive seen your sig on other board(s) too, I guess youre not the only one LOL-ing at those lame sigs