Andre Yoskowitz
7 Jul 2008 16:32
The IFPI and Italy's Guardia di Finanza have announced the shutdown of the alleged file-sharing forum Downrevolution.net for thousands of instances of copyright infringement.
In connection with the site, four people have been arrested and each will face a "criminal investigation."
Reports claim that only one of the men arrested was over the age of 18 meaning the rest are minors. There was no word on whether they will prosecuted as minors however. 17 computers, three external hard drives, and hundreds of counterfeit CDs and DVDs were also seized from a house in Sesto San Giovanni.
If found guilty, the men arrested could face 4 years in jail and large fines.
Downrevolution.net, like many other "warez" forums, posted Rapidshare.com and Megaupload.com links, allowing over 30,000 users to share copyrighted movies, music and more. The site stayed in business by selling banner ads and accepting donations in exchange for VIP status.
Jeremy Banks, IFPI’s Head of Internet Anti-Piracy Unit, added: “This shows a real commitment by the authorities to stopping online copyright theft, and it also highlights that forums like these are anything but immune from the law.”
The Guardia di Finanzia usually looks into intellectual property investigations for the Ministry of Finance.