Man in North Wales arrested for ‘leaking Hollywood films online'
The 47-year-old suspect is being investigated over alleged copyright offences at his home in Penmaenmawr, near Conwy, on April 29 by officers from the police intellectual property crime unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.
He is suspected to have obtained thousands of films, television series and songs without the necessary licence or permissions from copyright owners and then distributed them through a file-sharing torrent site, according to police.
The content included two recent Hollywood films that were leaked before their official release dates, the force said.
Officers shut down the site and seized two laptops and several hard drives for further examination. A quantity of discs were also seized.
The arrest came after an investigation by the intellectual property crime unit and the Motion Picture Association. The man has since been released under investigation, City of London Police said.
Det Con Jason Theobald, of the intellectual property crime unit, said: 'This operation serves as a warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites.
'This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative industries, money that not only supports artists, but thousands of technical and support staff working in this sector.
'It's estimated that this type of criminal activity contributes to around 86,000 job losses each year alone. PIPCU is committed to working with partners, nationally and internationally, to take action against those involved.'
Karyn Temple, a senior executive vice president and global general counsel for the Motion Picture Association, said: 'This operation stands as a powerful testament to the impact of close collaboration between law enforcement, the creative sector and industry partners.
'We commend PIPCU for their leadership and dedication – their unique role in tackling intellectual property crime is essential in today's digital age. Together, we are delivering meaningful results in the fight against piracy.
'As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats to creative content. This decisive enforcement action reinforces the message that piracy is not a victimless crime – it damages creators, disrupts legitimate businesses, and endangers consumers.
'We are proud to stand with PIPCU and our partners to protect creative industries and ensure audiences around the world can enjoy stories in a safe, legal and secure way.'
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