Kickass Torrents Kingpin Arrested
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 07/21/2016 09:22 AM
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If you think Megaupload was a criminal enterprise, a Ukrainian by the name of Artem Vaulin is alleged to be the kingpin of the world's biggest online piracy site, Kickass Torrents.
Vaulin, 30, of Kharkiv, Ukraine, is accused of distributing over $1 billion worth of illegally copied films, music and other content.
Authorities arrested Vaulin in Poland and charged with copyright infringement, money laundering and other charges.
The Justice Department estimates that the site which distributes films, video games, television programs, music and other electronic media is the 69th most visited site on the web.
"Vaulin is charged with running today's most visited illegal file-sharing website, responsible for unlawfully distributing well over $1 billion of copyrighted materials," said Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell.
"In an effort to evade law enforcement, Vaulin allegedly relied on servers located in countries around the world and moved his domains due to repeated seizures and civil lawsuits. His arrest in Poland, however, demonstrates again that cybercriminals can run, but they cannot hide from justice."
The money it generated was not paltry, according to authorities. It is estimated that the site drew in annual advertising revenue in the range of $12.5 million to $22.3 million.
Source: Security Week
Vaulin, 30, of Kharkiv, Ukraine, is accused of distributing over $1 billion worth of illegally copied films, music and other content.Authorities arrested Vaulin in Poland and charged with copyright infringement, money laundering and other charges.
The Justice Department estimates that the site which distributes films, video games, television programs, music and other electronic media is the 69th most visited site on the web.
"Vaulin is charged with running today's most visited illegal file-sharing website, responsible for unlawfully distributing well over $1 billion of copyrighted materials," said Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell.
"In an effort to evade law enforcement, Vaulin allegedly relied on servers located in countries around the world and moved his domains due to repeated seizures and civil lawsuits. His arrest in Poland, however, demonstrates again that cybercriminals can run, but they cannot hide from justice."
The money it generated was not paltry, according to authorities. It is estimated that the site drew in annual advertising revenue in the range of $12.5 million to $22.3 million.
Source: Security Week
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