16-year-old Norwegian filesharer charged

A 16-year-old from Stavanger in Norway who shared thousands of movies and songs through the P2P program Direct Connect, has been charged with illegal file-sharing, Norwegian Aftenposten reports.

The boy allegedly ran the Stavanger Dragon Hub, from where at least 7,000 movies, 150,000 songs and 20,000 video clips were shared illegaly.

The server was tracked down last year by Norwegian law firm Simonsen, which is acting as regional representatives for the Motion Picture Association (MPA). The hub was closed immediately.

The 16-year-old now faces 60 days in jail and a fine of NOK4,000 ($644) if convicted. His parents could also be hit with "a six figure fine to compensate for lost revenues by the music and film industry". Lawyer Espen Tøndel still has to determine the exact amount.

Marte Thorsby of the recording industry organization IFPI told Dagbladet that the boy "was fully aware of his actions" and the case will be "a powerful signal to parents, who must pay more attention to what their children are doing,"

In 2005 a 36-year-old man from Oppland County was sentenced for sharing film and music files. The Sandefjord man placed material on his employer's server to facilitate the illegal transfers. A police raid revealed more than 60,000 pirated film and music files.®