AfterDawn: News

Three file sharers arrested in Singapore

Singapore police said on Thursday that three Internet users have been arrested and charged with illegally distributing digital music files. This is Singapore’s first crackdown on file sharing of copyrighted material since new copyright laws came into effect in January this year. The men, aged 16-22, are accused of sharing more than 20,000 files in "Internet chatrooms". The three could now face stiff penalties for their actions.

Under the amended Copyright Act, Internet users who download pirated material on a commercial scale could face up to five years in prison and a fine up to S$100,000. The Police were working on a tip by the Recording Industry Association of Singapore (RIAS), which represents local record companies and of course major International record labels. According to the police, they used an Internet chat program and a music-sharing program to distribute the content.



The RIAS told Reuters that it had sent warnings to those engaged in illegal file sharing and that prosecution was a last resort. According to Industry analysts, the growing availability of broadband Internet connections in Asia is driving the numbers of illegal music downloaders up especially in countries like China where piracy is already rampant. The result, we are told, is a major slump in music sales.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: James Delahunty @ 18 Aug 2005 23:05

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• 4 comments

• etherz

  I wonder what program they were using, sounds like IRC, but surely not ???

  19.8.2005 04:56 #1

• joebaxter

  hmm
  
  i wonder what kind of penaltie they will get
  i heard singapore is harsh on there human users :(

  19.8.2005 10:26 #2

• pcrepair

  yup probably mIRC :)
  try opening your mIRC and typing
  /server irc.criten.net into the edit box then when it restarts type /list 100
  that will get you every room with more than 99 people in and will get you lots of warez rooms too

  20.8.2005 06:41 #3

• milfzor

  GOOD GRIEF 5 years in prison and a fine of 100000? i hate to see what they do to their REAL criminals.....drug dealers, bank robbers...that type of thing? You could get less of a sentance than that for killing someone in self defense even if you have a black belt in karate and have to register your hands as lethal weapons in the USA. What the heck has this world come to?

  21.8.2005 22:00 #4