Internet users nabbed for sharing pirated music

Three men were arrested at their Singapore homes for distributing 20,000 pirated digital music files for free over the Internet.

It was the first time that police in the city-state targeted home Internet users who distribute digital music but do not try to profit from it, The Straits Times said.

The raid was triggered by a tip from the Record Industry Association Singapore (Rias), which represents Sony BMG, EMI Music, Warner Music and Universal Music.

Rias chief executive Edward Neubronner alleged that the three suspects – a student, a factory operator and a man waiting to begin his military service – have made large numbers of English and Malay music available for others to download since last year over an Internet relay chat channel.

The chat programme allows users to exchange files with each other. It tracks the amount of data distributed and downloaded.

“The more content a user distributes to other online users, the more he will be able to download from others,” the report said.

Rias regularly sends warning letters to pirates fingered by its investigators, and has previously sued those who sell copyrighted material.

Neubronner said that the association had warned the three youths to stop distributing pirated materials, but the suspects changed the nicknames they used on the Internet to avoid detection.

Distributing pirated music files is illegal, even if it is done for free.

Offenders face jail terms of up to five years and fines reaching 100,000 Singapore dollars (606,000 U.S. dollars). (dpa)