Aussie judge on Griffiths extradition
p2pnet.net news:- “International copyright violations are a great problem. However, there is also the consideration that a country must protect its nationals from being removed from their homeland to a foreign country merely because the commercial interests of that foreign country are claimed to have been affected by the person’s behaviour in Australia and the foreign country can exercise influence over Australia.”
The quote refers to the fact the fact America’s Department of Justice (DoJ) had DoD (DrinkorDie) member Hew Raymond Griffiths extradited from Oz to the US for trial on alleged conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and criminal copyright infringement charges.
Did it come from an activist”? No. It’s a statement from New South Wales chief judge Peter Young.
Born in England, he was, “given up to the US by former justice minister Chris Ellison,” says the Sydney Morning Herald. Now Griffiths, aka Bandido, “is in a Virginia cell facing up to 10 years in an American prison after a guilty plea late last month”.
A Briton, he’s, “lived in Australia since the age of seven,” says the story, adding:
“From his home base on the central coast of NSW, he served as the leader of a group named Drink Or Die, which ‘cracked’ copy-protected software and media products and distributed them free of cost.
“Often seen with long hair and bare feet, Griffiths did not make money from his activities, and lived with his father in a modest house.”
(Thanks, Patrick)
Also See:
extradited from Oz – DrinkorDie Griffiths faces jail, February 23, 2007
Sydney Morning Herald – Aussie software pirate extradited, May 3, 2007
If your Net access is blocked by governBryan Adams slams Net radio hikement restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at thIs the endSurvey: How Did Copyright Infringement Become Equated with Robbery? (of the Net) nigh?zze University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
May 8th, 2007 at 5:58 am
The extradion was an act of treason against the people of Australia.
Treason is a real criminal crime whereas copying software is not, if it was not done for profit, and I don’t care what the american law says.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:17 am
as an american myself I totally agree. This insane “IN”justice department we have thinks american law applies across the globe.