Covert DoJ investigations into online swapping of copyrighted materials have identified over 100 people in the USA and other countries involved in the distribution of music, movies, and software valued at over $50 million. The initiative is called Operation Fastlink, and targeted warez groups like Fairlight, Kalisto, Echelon, Class and Project X. Excerpt from DoJ press release:
Attorney General John Ashcroft announced today the most far-reaching and aggressive enforcement action ever undertaken against organizations involved in illegal intellectual property piracy over the Internet. Beginning yesterday morning, law enforcement from 10 countries and the United States conducted over 120 searches worldwide to dismantle some of the most well-known and prolific online piracy organizations.
"Intellectual property theft is a global problem that hurts economies around the world. To be effective, we must respond globally," Attorney General Ashcroft said. "In the past 24 hours, working closely with our foreign law enforcement counterparts, we have moved aggressively to strike at the very core of the international online piracy world."
Link to DoJ press release, Link to related coverage from AP. (Thanks, JP)
