FBI’s Operation Fastlink
p2pnet.net News:- When FBI agents, acting as unpaid entertainment industry helpers, raided schools in Arizona looking for digital movie and music files, it was part of, “the most far-reaching and aggressive enforcement action ever undertaken against organizations involved in illegal intellectual property piracy over the Internet,” says the US Department of Justice.
“The ongoing investigations were assisted by various intellectual property trade associations, including the Business Software Alliance, the Entertainment Software Association, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America,” it says states.
This would have been more accurate with ‘initiated’ instead of ‘assisted,’ and ‘Hollywood marketing and enforcement divisions’ instead of ‘intellectual property trade associations’.
The raids were part of Operation Fastlink, an “enforcement action” conducted under the direction of the FBI with agents from 30 separate field offices across the US taking part, says the DoJ proudly, going on:
“The investigation has been coordinated with the Justice Department’s CCIPS Section and federal prosecutors from 42 separate United States Attorneys’ Offices nationwide.”
That must have cost a few million taxpayer dollars.
“As a result of Fastlink, over 120 total searches have been executed in the past 24 hours in 27 states and in 10 foreign countries,” says the DoJ.
“Foreign searches were conducted in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden as well as Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
One wonders if these countries agreed to have a domestic US law agency poking around, if their national police forces were also involved in this FBI/entertainment industry enforcement action, and exactly what’s meant by “searches”.
“Nearly 100 individuals worldwide have been identified by the investigation to date, many of whom are the leaders or high-level members of various international piracy organizations,” says the DoJ. “As the investigations continue, additional targets will be identified and pursued.”
It must be extremely reassuring for American citizens to know that instead of nailing criminals and terrorists, the DoJ and FBI are chasing ‘intellectual property pirates’ on behalf of the Big Five record labels (only one of which is based in the US) and the Big Seven movie studios.
If they tried to make this into a movie, no one would believe it.
Catchy code-name, though.
April 22nd, 2004 at 7:45 pm
Download music, get boffed in the arse in jail, thats really the point isnt it? I will die b4 allowing any rear entry!
April 22nd, 2004 at 11:37 pm
^^^ i agree wit dat homeboy, fuck the FBI. why the fuck would you be stupid enough to pursue innocent kids who are jus trying to hear good music at a low price. maybe if the stupid fucks at record label companies would lower their high ass fuckin prices kids wouldnt have to download music instead of buying it. take that into consideration you fucking FBI/Record Company PRICKS.
April 23rd, 2004 at 12:12 am
wow.. wonderful, i’m happy that someone as intellectual as bush has decided to name this one fastlink, because i don’t think he could spell RIAA if it was paying him soft money in the pocket.. oh wait…
April 23rd, 2004 at 12:26 am
sexist comment!
April 23rd, 2004 at 2:23 am
Just tell him that it has the same letters as IRAQ. All he has to do is make the letter “Q”.
April 23rd, 2004 at 6:55 pm
It must be extremely reassuring for American citizens to know that instead of nailing criminals and terrorists, the DoJ and FBI are chasing ‘intellectual property pirates’ on behalf of the Big Five record labels (only one of which is based in the US) and the Big Seven movie studios.
As somone who sells their own software I find it reassuring that the FBI and the DOJ are doing something about spoiled teenagers who are taking food off of my famlies table. If mommy and daddy can pay tens of thousands of dollars per year to send you to college they can pay for you to buy the software I develop or do you believe they only pirate intellectual property from the big bad evil companies charging 10,000.00 dollars per licence?
April 24th, 2004 at 2:04 pm
If you sell your own software, you have a day-job, don’t quit.
April 25th, 2004 at 4:38 am
f*ck john ashcroft, f*ck Robert Mueller, f*ck bill gates, and
mutha f*ck g. w. bush
April 25th, 2004 at 8:48 am
Death to these infidels.There is only one thing to do here people,load your p2p app of choice and go nucking futs.As Chuck the mofo man says “Picture me giving a dam I said never!”.But do support the artists that enrich your life and buy a record or two.Besides it’ll sound better and you can then rip and share!
April 26th, 2004 at 1:52 am
I can toke a bowl to this one
April 28th, 2004 at 8:31 pm
They cant catch Bin Laden but they can go after and catch a poor schoolboy who’s only enjoyment is a song.Your tax dollars at work!
If they sue people do you think anyone that does get sued to ever purchase anything from the people who sue them?Dont be stupid-
Think of all the agents sitting there trying to catch AMERICANS who pay their SALARY!If you could opt out of paying taxes to nonsense things like this would you?
April 28th, 2004 at 11:25 pm
oh wow you selfish jack ass.
so you mean the millions they make daily isnt enough?
usualy it isnt the spoled kids with brand new car’s and rich parents who steel this. its the poor ones who cant affor dit at all.
And I think it’s BS that will all the threats on america right now they are chasing pirates world wide when we could have another building blow up any time now. complete BS and waist of tax payers money.
no matter how many piraters they take down 10 more iwll be right behind them. its useless and to think this “mission” probably cost tax payers 2-5 million dollars.
glad to see all your tax’s are being used to save you a penny. not to save your LIFE!.. ahh. idiot!
April 28th, 2004 at 11:28 pm
yes i agree
buy now and then but to buy every label that hits shelfs just to ehar it. thats un heard of. and would cost the people thousands a year.
April 28th, 2004 at 11:32 pm
Glad i am Canadian. here the gov. doesnt care
lol..
but I agree its ridiculouse. how bout them 30 FBI guys get off there ass each of them pick up an un solved murder folder. or how about a missing child report or two.
sit on your ass’s and hunt them down.
There able to track a few mp3’s or divx files traveling over the inet. but cant put the effort into finding lil 5 y/o johny was was kidnapped.
Get a hint. I’m figuring that since htis investigation went world wide. had 30 agents and so forth. what do you figure the budget as.. 3? 5.. maybe more million dollars?
Well arn’t all you american’s glad your money is going somewhere usefull.
I swear to god if they re-elect That stupid ass president again I will fly down there and piss on him MYSELF. I swear it. you will all get smacks up side the head if you vote for that pencil disk, know nothing grade 3 drop out!
April 28th, 2004 at 11:34 pm
oh ya i wanted to add. My name is Shawn. I’m in Sask, Canada. I also go by blue Infinity.
I have downloaded an mp3 before. come arrest me. please mr. bush dont come and drop you iliterate bomb on my ass. NOOO you FB1 are so 31337. Fear them for they are root.
buncha useles lawyers in monkey suits with badges!
August 30th, 2004 at 7:59 am
Thats why its up to us as people to take our freedom back, the fact is they cannot arrest every p2p file sharer so what we need to do is band together and get more people to use p2p software and stand up to this bullshit. everyone use p2p, everyone share, the only way to stop this is to get more participation.