Sony and EA Attack Pirates

Sony Computer Entertainment announced on Friday that it and publisher Electronic Arts have filed suit against certain alleged members of a piracy ring calling themselves "Paradigm." The suit was placed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Claims include infringements on copyrights and trademarks due to the illegal copying and distributing of Sony Computer Entertainment- and Electronic Arts-owned software.

This suit follows a recent court-sanctioned seizure of computers, hard drives, CDs, and other evidence at the residence of one of the group's members. It mentions that the procured material offers sufficient evidence against members of the worldwide ring (spreading across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada).

"Putting an end to software piracy is a top priority for our industry," said Ruth Kennedy, senior vice president and general counsel for Electronic Arts. "Electronic Arts and SCEA believe that the break up of pirate Internet rings like this will be key to our success in combating the rising problem of Internet piracy. This action is part of our ongoing plan to find and prosecute these thieves."

Sony Computer Entertainment has also given names of other groups believed to be involved with online piracy, including "Origin," "Hybrid," "Razor 1911," "Class," "Divine," and others. Also the companies believe that with current evidence and further investigation, these groups will be prosecuted soon.