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14/08/2012
Four Year Jail Term For Surfthechannel.com Owner
A 38-year-old man has become the first person to be jailed in the UK over piracy, and has been sentenced to four years in prison at Newcastle crown court.
Anton Vickerman made £35,000 a month through the website, surfthechannel.com, that linked to pirated copies of films and TV shows. The website had around 400,000 users a day.
Vickerman was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud in June following an eight-week trial.
Vickerman, from Gateshead, set up the website in 2007 as an index of online videos – both legal and illegal – hosted elsewhere on the internet. He made money through adverts placed on the site.
He was not charged on copyright offences, but was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to facilitate copyright infringement.
Prosecutors said the conviction was a landmark case in the fight against piracy websites.
It is unclear whether the verdict will have any effect on appeals being made by the family of Richard O'Dwyer, a 22-year-old Sheffield student, whose TVshack.net site was closed down in November 2010 after it linked to places where people could watch US TV and movies online. O'Dwyer faces extradition to the US, where he could face 10 years in jail. Prosecutors in the UK have not charged O'Dwyer, whose site had about 300,000 users per month and collected £147,000 in advertising revenue over three years.
Anton Vickerman made £35,000 a month through the website, surfthechannel.com, that linked to pirated copies of films and TV shows. The website had around 400,000 users a day.
Vickerman was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud in June following an eight-week trial.
Vickerman, from Gateshead, set up the website in 2007 as an index of online videos – both legal and illegal – hosted elsewhere on the internet. He made money through adverts placed on the site.
He was not charged on copyright offences, but was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to facilitate copyright infringement.
Prosecutors said the conviction was a landmark case in the fight against piracy websites.
It is unclear whether the verdict will have any effect on appeals being made by the family of Richard O'Dwyer, a 22-year-old Sheffield student, whose TVshack.net site was closed down in November 2010 after it linked to places where people could watch US TV and movies online. O'Dwyer faces extradition to the US, where he could face 10 years in jail. Prosecutors in the UK have not charged O'Dwyer, whose site had about 300,000 users per month and collected £147,000 in advertising revenue over three years.
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29 June 2012
Links Website Operator Faces Jail
A man who ran a site offering links to TV content has been convicted of conspiracy to defraud. Anton Vickerman, 41, will be sentenced next month and faces up to ten years in jail for charges relating to surfthechannel.com. His wife Karen was found not guilty on the same charges.
Links Website Operator Faces Jail
A man who ran a site offering links to TV content has been convicted of conspiracy to defraud. Anton Vickerman, 41, will be sentenced next month and faces up to ten years in jail for charges relating to surfthechannel.com. His wife Karen was found not guilty on the same charges.
21 February 2014
ONS Figures Show Year-On-Year Increase In Retail Sales
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed a 1.5% drop in retail sales in January, down from a pre-Christmas boost of 2.5% but still 4.4% up on January 2013. Comparing year-on-year figures for January there was an 8% increase in non-food sales, with sales of household good increasing by 9.
ONS Figures Show Year-On-Year Increase In Retail Sales
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed a 1.5% drop in retail sales in January, down from a pre-Christmas boost of 2.5% but still 4.4% up on January 2013. Comparing year-on-year figures for January there was an 8% increase in non-food sales, with sales of household good increasing by 9.
02 July 2013
Murder of 84-Year-Old And Stabbing Of 9-Year-Old Connected
Five men are currently being held in connection with the death of an elderly woman and the stabbing of a nine-year-old boy. The young boy was attacked on Monday afternoon at a skate park in Shipley, West Yorkshire, suffering injuries to his chest and arm.
Murder of 84-Year-Old And Stabbing Of 9-Year-Old Connected
Five men are currently being held in connection with the death of an elderly woman and the stabbing of a nine-year-old boy. The young boy was attacked on Monday afternoon at a skate park in Shipley, West Yorkshire, suffering injuries to his chest and arm.
07 June 2013
18-Year-Old Jailed For Rape Of 11-Year-Old Schoolgirl
An 18-year-old man who raped an 11-year-old girl in a north London park, has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of eight years. Opemipo Jaji, of Edmonton, denied the attack in Jubilee Park, Enfield, north London in November last year. The jury had heard that Jaji had followed the girl off a bus as she made her way home from school.
18-Year-Old Jailed For Rape Of 11-Year-Old Schoolgirl
An 18-year-old man who raped an 11-year-old girl in a north London park, has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of eight years. Opemipo Jaji, of Edmonton, denied the attack in Jubilee Park, Enfield, north London in November last year. The jury had heard that Jaji had followed the girl off a bus as she made her way home from school.
07 April 2006
Met bust 'major' pirate DVD operation
The Metropolitan Police and Waltham Forest Trading Standards, in a joint initiative with FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft), have busted a major pirate DVD manufacturing facility and made five arrests.
Met bust 'major' pirate DVD operation
The Metropolitan Police and Waltham Forest Trading Standards, in a joint initiative with FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft), have busted a major pirate DVD manufacturing facility and made five arrests.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:After a dry start this morning rain will spread from the northwest across all parts. This afternoon will be dull with some patchy rain and drizzle. Becoming much milder through the afternoon. Maximum temperature 11 °C.Tonight:A cloudy evening and night with a little light rain or drizzle, perhaps some clear periods developing along the east coast. A very mild night everywhere. Minimum temperature 10 °C.
