A SITE used to distribute movies and TV shows illegally has been shut down in the latest piracy crackdown.
Police arrested a 47-year-old man from Penmaenmawr, Wales, on suspicion of copyright offences.
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The individual is accused of distributing thousands of films, TV series and music on a file sharing torrent site without permission.
Two recent Hollywood films that were leaked before their official release dates were a part of the content haul, officials said.
His home was raided on April 29, where police seized two laptops and several hard drives for further examination, as well as a large quantity of discs.
The man has since been released under investigation.
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“This operation serves as a warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites,” said Detective Constable Jason Theobald, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.
“This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative industries, money that not only supports artists, but thousands of technical and support staff working in this sector.”
The move follows a number of arrests to stamp out piracy in recent months.
In January, Gary McNally, 55, was sentenced to two years and nine months for running a dodgy IPTV service known as Each Online.
The service provided illegal access to Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports and Sky Movie channels, as well as content from international broadcasters, to thousands of people.
“As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats to creative content,” said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association.
“This decisive enforcement action reinforces the message that piracy is not a victimless crime– it damages creators, disrupts legitimate businesses, and endangers consumers.
“We are proud to stand with PIPCU and our partners to protect creative industries and ensure audiences around the world can enjoy stories in a safe, legal, and secure way.”
RISKS FROM ILLEGAL STREAMING AND DOWNLOADS
People streaming content illegally are at risk of fraud and other dangers when using dodgy TV devices.
But that’s not the only possible consequence.
They can slow down your broadband connection and affect other gadgets around your home too.
“Illegal streaming isn’t just unsafe, it’s actively harmful,” said Liz Bales, CEO of the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), and The Industry Trust for IP.
“Devices used for piracy are often infected with hidden malware, leading to crashing apps, severely disrupted performance, and compromised home networks.
“This puts personal data and entire households at risk.”
Image credit: Getty
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