The Rennes Criminal Court has handed down an unprecedented verdict, fining the creator and administrator of the notorious Torrent 411 illegal downloading site 150,000 euros, as well as 489 million euros in damages. The Torrent 411 site, also known as T411, was one of the world’s largest illegal download sites. With millions of users, it offered downloads of films, TV series, music, games and other illegal content. The case arose from a complaint lodged by Sacem (Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique) and several members of Alpa (Association de Lutte contre la Piraterie Audiovisuelle). The investigation, overseen by the Rennes public prosecutor’s office via the Juridiction Interrégionale Spécialisée (JIRS), was opened in 2014 and targeted the T411 site for counterfeiting, criminal conspiracy and money laundering. The site provided its community with nearly 700,000 torrent links to illegal copies of films, TV series and audio albums. This investigation led to arrests and searches in Sweden in June 2017. The site’s creator, a Quebecker, was not present at the hearing on October 13. He was heard in Canada, but was never handed over to France and never appeared before the investigating magistrate. An international arrest warrant has been issued against him by the French justice system. The site’s administrator, a Ukrainian living in Sweden, was present at the hearing and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, 13 of which were suspended. He will not return to prison, but will have to pay 150,000 euros to the plaintiffs, representing 30% of the damages claimed. He has announced his intention to appeal the decision, which marks an important step in the fight against illegal downloading and sends a strong message to similar sites. The astronomical damages claimed are intended to compensate for the losses suffered by the film, music and video game industries, whose revenues have been hard hit by online piracy. The conviction of the creator and administrator of Torrent 411, with a fine of 150,000 euros and damages of 489 million euros, marks a significant victory in the fight against illegal downloading. This emblematic case is a reminder of the importance of respecting copyright and supporting the cultural industries that create original content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3C8C6uwBmA
