James Delahunty
6 Mar 2008 18:29
Nine file-sharers in Iceland have been convicted of Internet piracy offenses for sharing movies using the DC++ software. Eight of the nine defendants received two years probation, while the ninth defendant who was singled out, Bjarki Magnússon, received a 30 day suspended sentence by the Reykjavík District Court.
Magnússon received a different punishment as he had established a portal for DC++ on dci.is. "Since the judgment has ruled in favor of the Icelandic copyright holders, nobody can share now without risking arrest," a reader told The Register.
SMÁÍS chairman Snaebjörn Steingrímsson expressed disappointment at the lenient nature of the punishments handed down by the court. The organization which represents the interests of film rights holders made the complaint that led to the arrest of 12 suspects in 2004.
Computer equipment and many discs were seized during the raids with one of the defendants being caught with 2.5TB of pirated material. The nine sentenced file-sharers now owe legal fees estimated at ISK 2.6 million (US$39,000).