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UK student to be extradited to the US for hosting hacked films and TV programs

Saturday, January 14th 2012 - 05:57 UTC
Full article 11 comments

A UK student from Sheffield can be extradited to the US to face copyright infringement allegations, a judge has ruled. Richard O'Dwyer, 23, set up the TVShack website which US authorities say hosts links to pirated copyrighted films and television programs. Read full article

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  • Marcos Alejandro

    “US authorities say hosts links to pirated copyrighted films”
    Piracy is in their genes..

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 06:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Fido Dido

    This kind of news should outrage brits, because it's abnormal.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 08:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • stick up your junta

    @1
    Mind you the Argies are quite good at it too

    ARGENTINA
    INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ALLIANCE (IIPA)
    2011 SPECIAL 301 REPORT ON COPYRIGHT PROTECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
    Special 301 Recommendation: IIPA recommends that Argentina remain on the Priority Watch List in 2011.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 09:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Teaboy2

    Copy right infringement is the illegal downloading, distribution, and copying of copyright protected material. Posting links to sites hosting such material could be argued as being distribution, but they wouldhave to prove he is liable for the distribution of the material itself, which lets be honest, if the other site did not host it, then he could not link to it. And then you have the google that links to such sites along with other search engines, what this guy is doing is no different to what google is doing e.g. sending people to sites for the material they they were looking for. Do we see the owners of Google and other search engines facing trial? No, but if this guy has to go on trial for doing the samething, then so must the owners of the search engines. Otherwise it becomes one law for some and another law for others.

    They should not extradite him anyway, as the crime was committed here in the UK not in the USA, so if they want to prosecute him it should be under UK law as it was within the UK were the crime was comitted, if it even is a crime to link to other sites.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 10:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • lsolde

    lf he has to go for trial, it should be in the UK, NOT the USA.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 11:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • zethe

    No offence guys, But why he go to trial in the UK when he's broken no UK laws? He “broke” US laws. They are different.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 12:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • JustinKuntz

    The “offence” was committed in the UK, it was investigated and no charges brought. Website was hosted in the UK, he was resident in the UK and the reason no charges were brought is he never hosted copyrighted material. Its another example of a very poor extradition treaty with the US, which should be scrapped. Nothing happened in the US.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 12:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Fido Dido

    “No offence guys, But why he go to trial in the UK when he's broken no UK laws?”

    And that's why Brits should be outraged. If he's being extradited, means your nation lost it's souvereignty. it doesn't matter of you're a brit, break US law, they come and get you and your own government doesn't care about your rights what all brits have according to it's constitution.

    He did not broke the laws in the US, but he broke US laws in the UK, who is willing to extradite him. That's a problem. The US believes they can do what they want, no matter where you are, Obongo made that clear, when he signed the NDAA bill. According to the US law, the NDAA (National Defence Authorization Act), that Obongo signed on New Years eve, he CAN (doesn't mean he will, if they make an exception) be denied a lawyer, because piracy is considered terrorism, NDAA is also a so called anti terror bill plus the patriot act, and he CAN be detained for some years, yes years, without having a trial and without being visited. He's in trouble, if he's being extradited.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 03:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    He alledgedly made £230,000 from this 'free' site which he has not denied.

    He had far more control over who could enter the site and gain access to the 'conduit'. It was not a through site (which is a defence under EU law), hence his failed court case.

    We shall have to see what happens on appeal, if he is allowed an appeal by the Home Secretary.

    He has played with fire and is about to be burnt and what is more he was warned about this and carried on doing it - even putting 'fcuk the police' on the second website when the first was closed down (it only took him 2 hours to get back thieving again).

    He wants to be seen as a Robin Hood figure, whereas in reality he is a robbing bastard. Need to get up to speed with the facts folks!

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 03:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Fido Dido

    “We shall have to see what happens on appeal, if he is allowed an appeal by the Home Secretary.”

    I hope so for him, because he should get an appeal and all brits should hope he get's it.

    ”he was warned about this and carried on doing it - even putting 'fcuk the police' on the second website when the first was closed down (it only took him 2 hours to get back thieving again).“

    That he put fcuk the police on his website, isn't a crime at all. It's freedom of speech. Isn't that respected in the British constitution? Or do you all live there in a police state and fish bowl where the police keeps an eye on you in the name of ”security”.

    the fact is, you're another typical fool who is willing to surrender freedom away in the name of security. Get your own facts in order so you can understand that this guy knew what both governments did was ridiculous and against their own constitution. They were protecting and still are (and come up with a new idea, the SOPA act), an industry that does not wants to compete and doesn't like the new ideas but in reality is dying because of their own stupidity.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 04:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    10 Fido Dido

    This guy was profiting from from an industry which measures the costs of its product in millions by charging a fee to people who want the product without paying for it. This raises the cost of access by law abiding people accordingly.

    I am one of those who has to pay for the actions of this person. The law in the EU is clear on this matter but I suspect not in that bastion of piracy which is Argentina.

    I care more for the poor soul Gary McKinnon who the US authorities claim he deleted critical files from operating systems, which shut down the US Army’s Military District of Washington network of 2,000 computers for 24 hours, as well as deleting US Navy Weapons logs, rendering a naval base's network of 300 computers inoperable after the September 11th terrorist attacks. The hacking was achieved by typing 'password' and 'hello' and 'its me' when asked for the password to these computers. That is what I call rediculous and something the US Military should have been ashamed off. Gary McKinnon has also been diagnosed wwith a form of Autism which makes him depressed almost to the point of mania.

    Richard O’Dwyer has none of these problems and cynically used his knowledge and the greed of others to line his pockets. It was only a District Judge who made the ruling and is more than likeley to go to appeal before a number of eminent judges: so we will see.

    I suggest shouting 'Fcuk the police' in Espanol at the next riot i Argentina and see where that gets you.

    Jan 14th, 2012 - 07:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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