FBI announces piracy crackdown

On Thursday, the FBI announced that authorities in 11 countries struck back at purveyors of illegally obtained copyrighted software, movies, music, and games. In the US, agents in California, North Carolina, and Illinois made a total of four arrests, which they called "the culmination" of an ongoing undercover operation code-named "Site Down."

Investigators said they concentrated on individuals that were the "first providers" of copyrighted works to the "warez" underground. According to a search warrant unsealed in San Francisco on Wednesday, the FBI agents posed as "warez hardware geeks" to gain entry to piracy groups. The warrant's details were outlined in an affidavit obtained by the San Jose Mercury News.

In California, one Chirayu Patel of Fremont was reportedly arrested on charges of violating federal copyright protection laws. He is alleged to have operated undercover servers used to upload and distribute games, movies, and architectural software internationally. Searches and arrests also occurred in Canada, Israel, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, and Australia. Overall, the Justice Department said yesterday's actions shut down eight major illegal servers.

"By dismantling these networks, the Department is striking at the top of the copyright piracy supply chain--a distribution chain that provides the vast majority of the illegal digitial content now available online," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in a statement today. "By penetrating this illegal world of high-technology and intellectual property theft, we have shown that law enforcement can and will find--and we will prosecute--those who try to use the Internet to create piracy networks beyond the reach of law enforcement."

Reportedly, the FBI will announce additional arrests as early as later today.