
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.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Lando Norris Struck in Face While Celebrating British GP Victory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. McLaren driver Lando Norris was hit in the face after capturing his first win at Silverstone. Norris won his home race - a major milestone for the young driver, and he celebrated the victory with all of his fans. While enjoying the post-race festivities, the British driver was parading his trophy around the paddock and headed towards a swarm of fans on the track. As he made his way to the fence, a photographer fell and struck Norris in the face, leaving the Briton hurt and walking away after the contact. Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren looks on during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025 in Northampton, England. Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren looks on during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025 in Northampton, England. Photo byAccording to reporting from Autosport, Norris suffered a small cut on his face. The photographer attempted to capture the sea of Norris' fans who were celebrating his crowning achievement. Lando Norris taking an inadvertent smack in the face when a photographer fell onto him from the pit wall #BritishGP #TedsNotebook — Elegantly Wasted (@TheCharismaVoid) July 6, 2025 While the hit likely hurt Norris, it couldn't have been enough to bring him down. He achieved a lifelong dream on Sunday and opened up about how much the result meant to him. "It's beautiful. Everything I dreamed of. Everything I've ever wanted to achieve. Apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it," he said. "This is where it all started for me, and now thankfully I've been able to have my go. "Incredible race, stressful as always, but the support from the fans made the difference today, so I've got to thank them for it all. "Your mind just goes pretty blank. Everything you might think before the race, you forget. The main thing is just don't f*** it up, that's rule number one." Norris gets a couple of weeks to soak in the win, but he will need to refocus as he is squarely in a fight for the title with teammate Oscar Piastri. British Grand Prix Race Results Lando Norris - McLaren Oscar Piastri - McLaren Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari Max Verstappen - Red Bull Pierre Gasly - Alpine Lance Stroll - Aston Martin Alex Albon - Williams Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin George Russell - Mercedes Oliver Bearman - Haas Carlos Sainz - Williams Esteban Ocon - Haas Charles Leclerc - Ferrari Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes - DNF Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls - DNF Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber - DNF Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls - DNF Franco Colapinto - Alpine - DNF More F1 news: How Lewis Hamilton Made the F1 Movie Production More Expensive For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.


Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Toronto's Rogers Stadium set to welcome Coldplay, with crowd control ‘adjustments'
TORONTO - Rogers Stadium is set to welcome tens of thousands of Coldplay fans tonight for the first of four shows by the British rock band, as organizers say they are 'making adjustments' to improve crowd control at Toronto's newest outdoor music venue. After the venue's inaugural concert last Sunday, some attendees said it took up to two hours to exit the stadium as the site and transit services seemed ill-equipped to handle the large crowds. Concertgoers also complained about limited access to water at the stadium, with some describing hour-long lineups at bottle filling stations that dispensed warm water in some cases. Live Nation Canada, which operates the stadium near Downsview Park, says it will be adding more signage, lighting, staff and water stations to improve the fan experience. It also says the stadium's exit routes will be reconfigured to disperse crowds to all three nearby subway stations in order to mitigate crowding at the Downsview Park station, which also serves GO train passengers. The Toronto Transit Commission has said it will be adding more staff to its Downsview Park and Wilson stations on concert nights, while Metrolinx only said it would 'closely monitor' GO train ridership levels for events at the stadium. Meanwhile, Ticketmaster has sent an email to Coldplay ticket holders advising them that cellular reception at Rogers Stadium gates 'will be limited as this is a large-capacity venue.' James Pasternak, a city councillor whose ward includes the Downsview Park area, said 'respectful but blunt' conversations about what needs to be improved at Rogers Stadium took place on Wednesday during a meeting with Live Nation and Northcrest Developments, which owns the property. 'With concerts scheduled all summer and shortcomings apparent from the first performance, we put pressure on all responsible parties to sort out concerns,' Pasternak said in a social media post. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.


UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
On This Day, July 7: London transit attacks kill 52
July 7 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1846, U.S. Navy Commodore J.D. Sloat proclaimed the annexation of California by the United States. In 1865, four people convicted of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln were hanged in Washington. In 1898, U.S. President William McKinley signed a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. In 1930, construction began on the Giant Boulder Dam, which in 1947 was renamed the Hoover Dam. In 1946, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) became the first American to be canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1976, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York enrolled female cadets for the first time in the institution's then-174-year-old history. In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was chosen by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to become the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. She was unanimously approved by the Senate. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI In 1999, a Miami-Dade County jury held the leading tobacco companies liable for various illnesses of Florida smokers. The class-action lawsuit, filed in 1994, was the first of its kind to reach trial. In 2005, terrorists struck the London transit system, setting off explosions in three subway cars and a double-decker bus in coordinated rush-hour attacks. Fifty-two people were killed and more than 700 injured. In 2010, a Paris court sentenced former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega to seven years in prison for money laundering. He was convicted of funneling about $3 million of Colombian drug money into French bank accounts. In 2012, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts married his longtime partner, Jim Ready, in a ceremony officiated by Gov. Deval Patrick. He was the first member of Congress to publicly come out as gay and first to marry a same-sex partner while in office. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI In 2013, Andy Murray became the first British player in 77 years to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Serb Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the championship match. In 2016, a gunman opened fire at an otherwise peaceful Black Lives Matter rally in Dallas, killing four police officers and one transit officer, and injuring seven others. Police killed the gunmen, who was holed up in a parking garage, using a robot strapped with an explosive. In 2017, Elon Musk's Tesla Motors produced its first mass-market vehicle, the Model 3. In 2022, after months of scandal and calls for his resignation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to step down. In 2024, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3 million people, a new record for clearing passengers for air travel in the United States. The TSA most recently broke the record again in June 2025.