Iowa Man Convicted for Piracy, Faces 15 Years

DES MOINES – A man accused of large-scale copyright infringement through what is known as a "warez" group is the first person convicted under piracy task force Operation Fastlink, federal authorities announced Friday.

Jathan Desir of Iowa City is accused of distributing illegally obtained software, movies, games and music over the Internet. Desir was the alleged kingpin in what is popularly known as a warez group, a computer slang term for copyrighted material that is traded in violation of copyright law.

Warez groups are typically underground groups of suppliers and distributors that make pirated content available for free download, often before it has been released to the mainstream market.

According to Wikipedia, warez is a "large-scale and international phenomenon. Well-organized pirate groups, often based in China and Russia illegally produce millions of copies of copyrighted software and exploit the Internet to avoid law enforcement from specific countries."

Desir, 26, pleaded guilty to all charges and faces up to 15 years in prison pending a March sentencing.

"There is no hiding in cyberspace and there is no hiding behind borders," Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray said in a statement to press.

Operation Fastlink began an international crackdown on warez groups in April that included law enforcement agencies from 10 countries.

Groups initially targeted by Operation Fastlink included Fairlight, Kalisto, Echelon, Class and Project X, all of which specialized in pirating computers games and content.

Operation Fastlink is the culmination of four separate undercover investigations simultaneously being conducted by the FBI, coordinated by the FBI Cyber Division, and the U.S. Department of Justice, coordinated by the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division.

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Justices Alito, Thomas Invoke Victorian-Era Morality Law, Raising Censorship Concerns

Several national publications reported this week on widespread concern among Free Speech advocates after U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked during a hearing the infamous segregation-era law the Comstock Act, which was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s.

TeamSkeet Releases 1st Installment of 'Ripe for the Taking'

TeamSkeet has released the first installment of its latest feature, "Ripe for the Taking," starring TeamSkeet March AllStar Scarlett Alexis.

Skinfluential Management's FansFuel Acquires Fanwire

FansFuel has acquired creator account management tool Fanwire.

Pineapple Support Appoints Kasey Kei as Brand Ambassador

Pineapple Support has appointed veteran performer and content creator Kasey Kei as its latest brand ambassador.

Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

Eva Maxim, Katrina Colt Headline 'Cumming to LA' From Cherry Kiss

Eva Maxim and Katrina Colt star with Vince Karter in 2021 XBIZ Europas Female Performer of the Year Cherry Kiss' "Cumming to L.A.," from Evil Angel.

AEBN Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN) is celebrating its 25th year in business this week.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still pursue antitrust claims in the future.

Skylar Snow Headlines 'Infidelity 4' From Sweet Sinner

Skylar Snow toplines "Infidelity 4," the latest release from Mile High Media studio brand Sweet Sinner.

Serenity Cox Stars in 'Enjoy It' From MILFY

Serenity Cox stars with Alberto Blanco in "Enjoy It," from Vixen Media Group studio imprint MILFY.

Show More