Operation FastLink Yields Three Arrests

Doomrat writes "As promised (see previous story), Operation FastLink has led to the arrests of 3 key members of the Fairlight group. NHTCU officers and local police executed search warrants and arrested three men at separate locations in Sheffield, Manchester and Belfast. Over 200 computers have been seized, along with 100 CD copiers. Raids were carried out in the UK, the U.S., Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore and Sweden."

So much for...

[Dimensio]

...my pirated copy of Spiderman 2.

Hmm ... no Canada

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks like we'll have to invade.

11 Countries?

[bedurndurn]

So they conducted raids in 11 countries and nabbed three key people? Must be one hell of a bad day to be a lackey. :)

I swear this reminds me of the Animaniacs...

[kevx45]

Remember the Animaniacs Country Song?

Raids were carried out in the UK, the U.S., Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore and Sweden.

Add intelligence/investigative services of each country, we have a new song!

Ughhh... I need sleep.

Re:Price of games

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't that sad? No matter the cost, people will always steal. Look at GPL'd source code: people steal it when it's _free_!

Moral of the story: people will always steal things. Their justification is almost always pure comedic gold.

Prediction

[williamstephens007]

I bet that most were users of the Linux operating systems and "anti" Microsoft people. Typical criminal profile.

CD copiers

[king_penguin_05]

I think we all know, however, that what they have seized is the equivalant of several thousand cd copiers.

Game Piracy Traffic

[Roman Levin]

It's only a matter of time until someone does a "War on Piracy" version of Traffic [imdb.com]. Tobey Maguire as a head of a piracy cartel?

War on IP Terrorism

[dotslashdot]

Ashcroft announces War on IP Terrorism--Bush invades Antartica to in a preemptive strike to stop the infiltration of underwater penguin operatives bent on creating a network of secure operations.

Re:Jeez

[Anonymous Coward]

Why can't they just grow up and catch some real criminals.

Real criminals fight back. I hope you're not suggesting that our brave officers of the law should put themselves at risk like that. If they all get killed chasing terrorists then who would that leave to protect us from the warez kiddies?

Re:CD copiers

[IthnkImParanoid]

Actually, they only seized four copiers, but they were 24x.

Re:Copying games is worse than rape

[JamesKPolk]

Yes, we need more captial punishment.

Re:Copying games is worse than rape

[Wordsmith]

THe greater crime, of course, is spreading Britney's music. With or without permission.

people were laying across borders

[morcheeba]

The people arrested were actualy laying on the interesctions of various country borders in order to make their arrest harder. A very clever tactic.

One guy was on the Franco-Sweedish-Hungarian-Israeli border, another one was on the German-Belgium-Danish-Netherlands border, and the purpored ring leader (aka "Long Larry") was sprawled out along the US-UK-Singapore border.

Canuck Thought

[pipingguy]

Once again, Canada has been ignored. Bastards.

Re:people were laying across borders

[IdleTime]

I know I'm stoned right now, but damn, what the heck is parent talking about? "Franco-Sweedish-Hungarian-Israeli border"? What the fu*k is that? And "US-UK-Singapore border."???

Brother, whatever you are smoking right now, hook me up!!!!

All these investigative resources . . .

[user no. 590291]

. . . when all they'd really have to do to catch every copyright misappropriator would be to release some spyware that calls home if the machine has the NFO extension associated with a text editor :).

Fairlight?

[what the dumple is]

I thought all they did was make those scroll-y things. Didn't realise they were still cracking software. What about Triad? Northern Lights? OKS Import Divsion? Red Sector?

RIAA Math

[red floyd]

Was that 100 copiers? Or was it 25 quad-speed copiers?

#$!%!&# Ashcroft

[Psykosys]

Not much of a surprise... first Asscroft came for the bongs, then he came for the porn...when he came for the warez there was no one left to speak up.