Man Uploads Episodes of ‘24′, Faces 3 Years Jail
Written by enigmax on June 04, 2007A man who uploaded four episodes of the hit series ‘24′ to a YouTube-style video hosting site has been tracked down by the FBI and is now being threatened with 3 years in a federal prison.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI, following a high-profile leak, Chicago resident Jorge Romero uploaded the first 4 episodes of this season’s ‘24′ to a YouTube-style site before it aired on TV and is now facing 3 years in jail.
The FBI claim that Romero uploaded the first 2 episodes on January 6, followed by the next 2 episodes on January 7 and posted hyperlinks on other websites to ensure that the maximum number of people could find and view them. Romero apparently confessed that he previously downloaded the episodes from another web site before uploading them to LiveDigital.com.
Romero’s identity was reportedly revealed after Fox TV owner News Corp sent a subpoena to LiveDigital demanding the uploader’s details.
An FBI spokesman said, “Romero is charged in the criminal complaint with uploading copyrighted material to a publicly accessible computer network knowing the work was intended for commercial distribution.”
Fox TV put out a statement thanking the FBI for their work;
“We hope it will serve as a powerful warning that uploading copyrighted TV shows and movies to the Internet can be a crime with significant penalties and will be prosecuted as such. Video-hosting sites such as LiveDigital.com and YouTube are not copyright-free zones, and individuals like Jorge Romero who post episodes of television shows, particularly before they are even broadcast for the first time, will face harsh civil and criminal sanctions.”
Uploaders of pre-release copyright material are targeted by the FBI as these actions are considered criminal in the US and usually carry a custodial sentence, which is great for headline-grabbing when trying to deter future pirates. However, it is up for debate whether or not these pre-releases actually have any negative effect on viewing figures. Indeed, just this week the President of Lions Gate movies said that even though their latest blockbuster ‘Hostel: Part 2″ was leaked onto the internet, it would have “no meaningful impact” on box office takings.
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48 Responses
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Well, stupid get what they “deserve”…
I forgot:
3 years jail are insane though.
This guy can do what Michael did in th other FOX series. Maybe he have seen Prison Break’s firs season :D
Ah, so I better kill a man, that only gets me two years jailtime…
This is so completely insane. Fox wants to send to jail people who are spreading, and therefor popularizing, their material?
How does uploading video’s on YouTube constitute anything more than a fine?
Why don’t people who enforce these morally corrupt copyright constructions shoot themselves in the head?
The world is broken, I tell you.
If people like him hasen’t uploaded does series they wouldn’t be soo popular now…
Those poeple are making a “wish hunt”…
Really stupid but then again people upload rubbish all the time!
never seen 24. Maybe if i caught it on youtube i might like it, but i’m not going to sit in front of the tv waiting for it to show up. The new medium is internet. Show commercials or something with VOD after release date, but i dont want to be in front of TV.
by that man uploading into a internet it is now viewed by a different audience. for example i dont watch TV that much. but when i saw the episodes on the internet it made me wanna watch the next following episodes on TV. ratings would only go up rather then go down.
C’mon everyone. We’ve seen the FBI warning for centuries now. Just because its easier to put videos on the web than to dub a VHS doesn’t make it more legal. I agree the penalties are harsh but you knew the consequences since Loony Toons was on tape.
The thing I don’t understand is why he is being charged at all. The article says because he uploaded files he knew were to be released for commercial distribution. That’s all fine and good, but Fox is a channel I can get even in my game room on a TV that doesn’t have cable. So in other words, I don’t pay anything to watch that channel, so what exactly is the damage done here??
rupert murdoch and the secret nazi society strike again
I agree that copyrighted material isn’t to be posted on public sites, but if it’s something that anyone with a TV can watch without having to pay anything extra because it’s on local TV, just doesn’t make much sense to me.
agree with the above comment. I honestly do not watch ANY TV anymore. Why would you when you can get better quality commercial free TV almost immediately after airtime with the ability to pause, rewind, etc. These television producers need to get with the times.
Three years in jail punishment does not fit the crime. Good job FBI, the “War on Terror” must be over–oh yeah–its not (according to you)!
ROFLMAOTIME OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!
Everyone one watch 24 or else!
Jail is:
A) For punishment
B) To keep people away from society because they’re dangerous.
This falls under A.
Somehow, I don’t see why Paris Hilton getting DUI’s and driving with a suspended license nets her 40 days in jail, and this guy gets THREE FUCKING YEARS.
3*365=1095 days
It’s TV. It’s NATIONAL TV. omfg.
BOYCOTT 24.
News Corp. and Fox should be happy that someone is furthering the viewship of this program. Also, this is another untapped way for these companies to further profit from the massive amount of product placement inserted into this show. Ford and other companies should pay a premium for shows that are shown to echo interest outside of the traditional television viewership. These companies need to get with the times and realize that ‘piracy’ could be extremely profitable for everyone involved, as well as improve worldwide viewership. Punishing this person will only hurt the long term successes of the media industry.
about the trakback:
well it’s just a translation of your text into Hebrew with added sarcasm
So the lesson is: upload from an Internet cafe, or over your neighbors WiFi router?
They should also imprison the writers responsible for ‘24′ this season.
How DARE he upload something for broadcast on the Internet. What’s next, broadcasting the episodes on TV?
… oh, wait. ^_^
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