Police raid CeBIT
p2pnet news | Crime:- German police raided 51 booths at the CeBIT computing show looking for devices with MP3, MP4 and DVB functions for digital audio and video, blank CDs and DVD copiers.
“According to senior prosecutor Hans-Jurgen Lendeckel, several mobile phones, screens, sat navs and MP3 devices were seized,” says The Register.
Senior detective Oliver Stock was in charge, says the story, and, “Some 183 police, customs officers and prosecutors raided the fair on Wednesday and carried off six cartons of electronic goods and documents including cellphones, navigation devices, digital picture frames and flat-screen monitors,” states the Guardian, going on:
“Of the 51 companies raided, 24 were Chinese, including three from Hong Kong, 12 from Taiwan, nine from Germany and one each from Poland, the Netherlands and Korea.”
The parties concerned could face a jail sentence of up to five years or a fine if found guilty, says the story.
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Also See:
The Register – Police raid CeBIT stands, March 7, 2008
Guardian – Police raid 51 CeBIT stands over suspected piracy, March 6, 2008
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March 7th, 2008 at 9:34 am
what are they actually charged with?
March 7th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Urheberrechtsverletzungen/Patentverstoesse better known in english as thought cri ehm, sorry I meant Intellectual property/patent violations.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:41 am
But the article states they were looking for “devices with MP3, MP4 and DVB functions for digital audio and video, blank CDs and DVD copiers.”
Wouldn’t that include all the major manufacturers? Is it illegal in Germany to own MP3 devices?
March 7th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
No it’s not illegal to own mp3 devices but is is illegal to import devices that infringe one someone elses IP (here: the patents on mp3 allegedly hold by an italian company if i remember correctly)
the storys which Jon links to are a bit clearer on the why’s then jon’s shorter post .
March 7th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
in case you are wondering. today (friday) they did it again. This time it was navigation/gps devices
heise.de newsticker meldung 104729
german only set the / yourself since jon’s wp is fucked
March 7th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Its from these guys:
http://ipgeek.blogspot.com/2006/09/sisvels-brings-patent-wild-west-into.html
Sisvel is the most corrupt, patent troll in history. Somehow they have SUBVERTED German officials, customs and police to do their so called ENFORCEMENT. This will NEVER happen in any other country that i know of EXCEPT Germany.
FFING Gestapos!
March 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
So Sisvel:Germany is MAFIAA:US_Universities?