FBI Seizes 272 Websites Over Illegal Music Sharing

FBI Seizes 272 Websites Over Illegal Music Sharing

FBI SEIZES 272 Music Websites – Gone!

(NewsBroadcast.com) – Since the beginning of the internet, many artists have found it difficult to protect their copyrighted work with illegal websites sharing photographs, drawings, and music worldwide. On June 27, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced it collaborated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Brazilian government to take down 272 websites providing “illegal downloads of copyrighted music.”

The court authorized the DOJ to seize six of the main domains that were providing music to people without compensating the artist.

The websites included in the online raid included SIMP3.com, Mp3Texa.ws, Corourbano.com, Corourbanos.com, Pautamp3.com, and flowactivo.co. Each site was registered in the United States and was advertised on social media. Brazilian authorities went a step further and removed 15 social profiles pushing the illegal sites. During this particular operation, six individuals were arrested and could face cybercrime charges.

Deputy Secretary of Operations of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Seopi/MJSP) Bráulio de Melo said that artists lose about $2.8 billion per year from copyright infringement cases. Although many people see the downloads as free music, they must remember that selling songs is how these artists make their living, and downloading from illegal sites is stealing.

The takedown is a stark reminder of the importance of being cautious about visiting only legitimate websites so as not to get roped into illegal activities unwittingly.

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