Man Pleads Guilty to Costing Film Industry “Millions” Through Piracy

[steven36]

A man has pleaded guilty to costing the film industry several millions of pounds after operating websites which allowed people to view content illegally. The offenses, alleged to have taken place between 2008 and 2013 and initially denied at a hearing in February, involve websites including the now-defunct FastPassTV.

In May 2011, police reported seizing £83,000 and computer equipment following a raid in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The operation was a culmination of an investigation carried out by the Hollywood-funded anti-piracy group Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).

By the end of the month more details began to emerge, with TorrentFreak sources confirming that an operator of video streaming site known as ‘FastPassTV’ had been arrested.

With hundreds of thousands of daily visitors the site was a significant player in the streaming market. However, FastPassTV did not store any content of its own, instead linking to movies hosted elsewhere.

“Fast Pass TV does not host, store, or distribute any of the videos listed on the site and only link to user submitted content that is freely available on the Internet,” a notice on the website read.

Somewhat typically the case dragged on through the legal system and it took more than four years to come to court. However, the case was more complex than it first appeared.

At his arraignment in February 2015, Paul Mahoney from Carnhill, Londonderry, was not only charged with offenses connected with FastPassTV but also BedroomMedia, a discussion and linking forum he also operated. It’s alleged that the man generated £82,390 in advertising revenue from the criminal operation of both sites.

Mahoney was also charged with two further offenses of conspiring with individuals known online as ‘Hunter Grubbs’ and ‘ADigitalOrange’ to defraud the movie industry. The 28-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges and was bailed to appear at a later date.

This week, however, Mahoney was back in court with an apparent change of heart, pleading guilty to all four charges. In what’s being described as the first prosecution of its type in Northern Ireland, Mahoney was re-arraigned Monday.

He pleaded guilty to a charge that between April 2008 and May 2011 he conspired with others to operate websites which allow the public to view copyrighted movies without permission from rightsholders.

Mahoney also pleaded guilty to a charge of generating £82,390 in advertising revenue between April 2010 and April 2013 from this websites FastPassTV and BedroomMedia.

Finally, the 28-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiring with ‘Hunter Grubbs’ and ‘ADigitalOrange’ between May 2011 and April 2013.

“Paul Mahoney operated websites over a number of years which knowingly provided illegal access to thousands of films, generating significant income for himself and causing the film industry millions of pounds of loses,” Kieron Sharp, Director General of FACT, informs TorrentFreak.

Unusually, however, there will be no claim for compensation. FACT hopes that Mahoney’s prosecution alone will send a clear message to others thinking of embarking on the same line of business.

“Websites of this kind cause untold harm to the UK’s creative industries. We hope that this prosecution will serve as a deterrent to others engaging in this type of criminality, and look forward to Mr Mahoney’s sentencing on 25th August,” Sharp concludes.

Source

[flitox]

causing the film industry millions of pounds of loses

how can you make such statement??? it is not as if all people who download would have bought a cinema ticket or a dvd if they couldn't download it.

which makes me wonder, is it illegal to download a movie if you happened to go & see it at the movie?? after all you have paid to see it already

[steven36]

causing the film industry millions of pounds of loses

how can you make such statement??? it is not as if all people who download would have bought a cinema ticket or a dvd if they couldn't download it.

which makes me wonder, is it illegal to download a movie if you happened to go & see it at the movie?? after all you have paid to see it already

Well I think the industry makes statement like these everyday . But the person even plead guilty to doing it ..He knew the risk he was taking when he made all that moneys from ads . And yes its illegal to download a movie even though you paid to go see it . You dont own it you just paid to see it one time . And if you buy it and share it with people that's still illegal . Only you own it for personal use.

But downloading is not as serious as what guy done and many do run sites that churn a profit from warez. Making money from it is the fastest way to get busted . It leaves a information trail and everything else. ;)

[ugurano]

when your realy search on google, your find most free site, and what he talking, not every guy with buying crap

[steven36]

when your realy search on google, your find most free site, and what he talking, not every guy with buying crap

What you thank as a person and what the industry thinks is totally different . Do read what it says?

. Unusually, however, there will be no claim for compensation

In other words they cut him a deal not charge him no money if he pleaded guilty . Just so fact can scare people and say they won but really they won nothing . :P

If i made millions and they cut me a deal to pay nothing ..It would be in my best insert to take the deal and go home count my money . :lol:

[Arachnoid]

In other words they cut him a deal not charge him no money if he pleaded guilty . Just so fact can scare people and say they won but really they won nothing . :P

If i made millions and they cut me a deal to pay nothing ..It would be in my best insert to take the deal and go home count my money . :lol:

Well actually even though they got no monetary reperation they got untold amounts of free advertising in the media highlighting and on internet forums relating what can occour to such people who take the risks to host such services,This said Im not sure weather they could enforce ceasure of his profits from advertising as this as far as Im aware,does not come under any copyright infringement unless you could class it as such under the seizure of proceeds from crime bill..

[steven36]

In other words they cut him a deal not charge him no money if he pleaded guilty . Just so fact can scare people and say they won but really they won nothing . :P

If i made millions and they cut me a deal to pay nothing ..It would be in my best insert to take the deal and go home count my money . :lol:

Well actually even though they got no monetary reperation they got untold amounts of free advertising in the media highlighting and on internet forums relating what can occour to such people who take the risks to host such services,This said Im not sure weather they could enforce ceasure of his profits from advertising as this as far as Im aware,does not come under any copyright infringement unless you could class it as such under the ceasure of proceeds from crime bill.

Like anybody going listen to what goes on in Ireland . They should learned that from the UK . look at all the money the UK spend trying to prevent piracy and its not slowed it down none.

[funkyy]

Two things:-

1) Remember the days of "Radio-Cassette players"? Well it was actually illegal to record a song from the radio onto a C60 or C90 cassette tape. So you are probably asking yourself "Then how come there was a big industry selling C60 C90 cassettes?". The legal position was that you could record a "radio program" that you would watch later AND THEN ERASE. But come on, how many of us older guys erased our tapes after listening to a song one time? We all kept compilation cassettes of our favourite groups/songs. They didn't prosecute this law because it was bloody impractical to do so...the courts and jails would have been overflowing with teenagers.

2) Similar to the above, it was illegal to tape a tv show/movie from TV on VHS/Betamax tapes (I'm showing my age here guys!!!) yet there was a huge profit making industry selling blank tapes (Sony, Toshiba, Sanyo etc etc). Again they were happy to make a huge profit on cheaply produced tapes (I paid 14 pounds 99 pence for the first blank 3hour tape that I bought in 1980...some years later you could buy a 4 pack for 3 pounds 99 pence). So how did big business walk the line between telling us it was illegal to record from TV yet at the same time sell us VHS/Betamax video recorders and blank video tapes? The answer was similar to what I wrote above about Radio-cassette players...they said we were allowed to set our video recorder's timer to record a program / movie that we would not be at home to watch at the hour of transmission, but WE WOULD HAVE TO ERASE IT AFTER ONE VIEWING!!! This was called permitted "time-shifting" by the cunning manipulators of double standards. Again they didn't prosecute with any fervour because now the courts and jails would be overflowing with mums and dads who had their collections of Dallas episodes and Rambo/Rocky movies!!!

In short, they're crying their little eyes out because they just can't find a way to slow down the march of the Internet Age long enough to figure out a way to control it (i.e cash in on it) and therefore control us. They have grown so accustomed to their ability to have a monopoly that they can't accept that it is not their God given right to OWN everything and that the "Law" wasn't designed just for them, and it has more important matters to take care of. They would charge us with breaking "Copyright Law" for whistling a song in the street if they could get away with it. Filly suckers!!!! :showoff: :showoff: :showoff:

[steven36]

I remember the days of 8 tracks when cassette tapes were brand new back in the 70s and not poplar yet. Even in those days people sold bootleg 8 tracks and we recorded mixed tapes . The Media sort done them self in because piracy is big once again . You take people who dont have internet have no way to rent dvds and blu-rays anymore because all those shops closed down . And they can get them off the streets and own them for about what cost to rent one off the internet . they will never be able to stop it just they cant stop drugs or anything else . :P

[Arachnoid]

Like anybody going listen to what goes on in Ireland . They should learned that from the UK . look at all the money the UK spend trying to prevent piracy and its not slowed it down none.

I guess for the music/movie industry it is another nail in the coffin and if they can keep it in the media it is a reminder to people of what can happen.

[steven36]

Like anybody going listen to what goes on in Ireland . They should learned that from the UK . look at all the money the UK spend trying to prevent piracy and its not slowed it down none.

I guess for the music/movie industry it is another nail in the coffin and if they can keep it in the media it is a reminder to people of what can happen.

when it happen was between 2008 and 2013 meaning it drug on in court for a very long time fact lost a lot money paying for lawyers to win nothing but to say they won .A Release group in the USA got like 3 years in prison for doing cams ,ts and, DVDSCR bk then . Last time i checked its 2015 and cams and TS still come out everyday. One site close 2 more open . This paints a bad picture for fact it shows people can make millions from piracy and if you fight them back they will cut you a deal to get off. I know people who done a lot less who took a deal and had to pull time. :lol:

These sites are all over the web what most do is just all index the same links on every site to bad quality streams of video . They dont cost much to make ether .