Man convicted for website offering links to TV Shows

[TVC_H4U]

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A man has been convicted on conspiracy charges relating to his operation of surfthechannel.com, a website offering links to TV and video content.

Newcastle crown court heard Anton Vickerman's site had up to 400,000 users a day and made about £35,000 a month in revenue. While UK prosecutors did not pursue a case on copyright offences, Vickerman was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and faces sentencing next month.

More Info atThe Guardian.

It turns out those websites are illegal but not for copyright but "conspiracy to defraud". The guardian article is a very interesting read as it goes on to suggest that the prosecutors were present at the arrest, given access to the evidence and were present at police interviews.

In other news their are 100k+ signatures on a petition by the Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales to stop the Extradition of Richard o'Dwyer. UK Citizen whom made a website in the UK but not prosecuted here instead being shipped off to America were they have a better chance to prosecute.

[TVC_Admin]

The "conspiracy" charges were merely a convenient way of circumventing the vague wording in the Copyright Designs and Patents Act, inasmuch that Anton wasn't actually charging people for his services, but was conspiring to profit indirectly - and did so handsomely - with his wife and then laundering the proceeds in a manner that secured his conviction. In essence, his whole plan was to profit (to the tune of £35 a month) from content he knew to be infringing, and he tried to rely on the "Google Defence" ("we're just another search engine m'lud". The idiot even boasted to investigators about how much more he earned than they did.

More info on conspiracy to defraud here Generally speaking Vickerman can expect anything between 12 months and 10 years, he and his wife will have a horrendous costs bill to pay along with massive civil damages. His nice new mansion in Norwich and his cars will be the first to be sold off

Some of us knew Anton very well, and he has an "interesting " history that spans SuprNova, Snarf-it, and STC. Many of those who were around at the time the police brought down the grandfather of all torrent sites, SuprNova , firmly blame him for the arrest of Andrej Preston ("Slonceck") and the near destruction of the entire torrent scene when the servers were impounded and Sloncek was jailed. A taste of things to come, considering that Anton hadn't long been hosted at the Pirate Bay's HQ (PRQ) when the proverbial hit the fan for them, too. Coincidental, just bad luck or more? You decide

What hasn't been reported in that staunch defender of public rights and example of accurate journalism, the Guardian, is the use of offshore accounts in countries such as Latvia (Parex Bank) and Cyprus (FMBE Bank) using fake names - often names stolen at random from the web or people he met, generally supported by forged IDs - to launder the proceeds of his dodgy dealings. Doubtless the outrage mongers on TF will have a field day, and Google will be swamped by the usual inrush of Google Lawyers all wanting their fix of something they'll never understand, but Anton has long been a liability to the torrent fraternity through his outright greed and arrogance. Posters at Slyck once branded him "the most odious man on the scene", and it is telling that the only man left that he could count as a friend, finally gave evidence against him when he was told by investigators that he had been ripped off by him.

The Guardian also doesn't report that it was FACT who actually alerted the police to what Anton was doing, and they were material witnesses to the crimes. The fact that they were present at the arrest is not unusual, I was in a road accident a few years back and the police arrested everyone, including two witnesses, on the spot. They did so to ensure that interviews could be made under caution in controlled conditions (i.e. taped) It is pretty much standard operating procedure

The court ruling finally confirms what everyone has thought about Anton for years, now he has a conviction to prove that he is just a crook, and certainly nobody's hero. It is a shame he pushed things so far, and the precedent he has handed FACT on a plate will haunt many harmless sites, but Anton, as usual, only ever thought about himself.

The Richard O'Dwyer issue appears to be at the opposite end of the spectrum, and his proposed extradition seems to be a complete travesty. Not good. That is one petition I would certainly sign

[redhawk]

Perhaps Richard O'Dwyer should take the matter to the courts of human rights on the grounds he would never receive a fair trial.
You only have to look at trash like Abu Hamza who after 10 years of fighting the British legal still haven't been removed from this country.

Richard S.

[TVC_H4U]

Im hoping 12 months and not the 10 years. The guy created a website that linked to content. That content was not his to distribute but 12 month seems tough enough to stop the guy from repeat offending with proceeds of crime in tow.

His next site could be advert free Or perhaps be rid of the "conspiracy" and be open about his fraud on the about us page (lol). Im no lawyer, any idea why not prosecute him for Fraud instead of "conspiracy to"? it makes its sound like pre-crime but he was actively doing it apparently.

I think the shock is that FACT was invited to the arrest, it was not like your situation where you were in person at the "event". I do think its unusual to invite the claimant to a scheduled arrest of the accused. Followed by apparently being present at the interviews.

He is the first these dodgy sites owners that I've read about that has been convicted in the UK. As mentioned Richard O'Dwyer is getting shipped to the USA and David Rock (also FACT prosecuted) currently has no charges filed against him.

Hana Beshara was recently prosecuted in US, now she was a strange one whom openly mocked those she was potentially stealing from, in video.

TIL: SuperNova.org now has bespoke web shows. Will have to check it out.

The Richard O'Dwyer issue .... That is one petition I would certainly sign

Good Man, I also wrote to my MP who passed letter to Theresa May who ignored it and later gave her consent to the extradition. Kinda stung, would be better if my MP just ignored it - much more efficient.

@redhawk - I think they are kicking on all the doors and working their way to the top. Hopefully too much time will pass and USA will move on.

[TVC_Admin]

Vickerman created a website for profit, and profit alone, and shamelessly stole valuable equipment from friends of his (including some not so far away from where I am sitting), donations from naive supporters and through his idiocy in conspiring to defraud (don't forget he money laundered in a fake name using forged documentation at Parex Bank in Latvia), created a dreadful precedent that set back everyone else's rights by 20 years.

My understanding is that FACT instigated the arrest, by following Vickerman back home after a meeting with a fake "investor" in a posh London hotel (right next door to the London HQ of the IFPI!), then following it up with a visit from someone pretending to be interested in buying his home in Gateshead (he sold it and bought a huge mansion and several new cars on the basis of the £35k a month he was caught pocketing). I wouldn't believe half the crap that is being put out on forums or the newspapers, best account of that can be found here

As FACT were there as legal representatives on behalf of the supposed "victims", they had been asked by the police to provide further evidence and the crime was actually in progress when they were in his premises, their presence (if they were there at all, as the trial records show that the police actually arrested him a month later) wasn't unusual and I can't see how that transgressed his rights or prejudiced the outcome. If I caught a burglar in my home, does the fact that I was was there stopping him from escaping when the police arrived make his crime less serious? Rendition would be far too good for the likes of this guy.

Richard O'Dwyer is in an entirely different category, one where American business interests apppear to prevail over UK national law, and that is altogether unacceptable. For the life of me, I simply cannot understand why someone like Vickerman will probably get away with being bankrupted and probably end up spending just 3 months in an open prison with time off for good behaviour albeit he deserves to be put away for good (IMHO), when Richard O'Dwyer is being pursued in such a vindictive and reprehensible manner by foreigners with a hostile agenda.

[Jonathan]

If Richard O'Dwyer does get extradited, then there's little value in being a UK citizen. Considering the authorities find it easier to extradite a english student, than someone with terrorist links. We might as well become the newest US state, if we are just going to do anything for them.

The US is completely screwed up when it comes to money and authority. Kim Dotcom (Megaupload, lived in New Zealand), if found guilty will get around 50 years in prison, whereas people who've raped and murdered get around 20 years. (the US also spends more on Prisons than schools), most of the problems in the world today centre around the US, I'd love to live there, but they need to kick their whole political system down the drain and start again.

[TVC_Colwal]

If Richard O'Dwyer does get extradited, then there's little value in being a UK citizen. Considering the authorities find it easier to extradite a english student, than someone with terrorist links. We might as well become the newest US state, if we are just going to do anything for them.

The US is completely screwed up when it comes to money and authority. Kim Dotcom (Megaupload, lived in New Zealand), if found guilty will get around 50 years in prison, whereas people who've raped and murdered get around 20 years. (the US also spends more on Prisons than schools), most of the problems in the world today centre around the US, I'd love to live there, but they need to kick their whole political system down the drain and start again.

It seems odd that an American can shoot an unarmed black youth and not get arrested, but a British lad tells people where they can download US TV and they want him hanged.
America has only it's own interests in mind.
I remember years ago during the cold war, an American General being interviewed on TV about the risk of nuclear war. He told the interviewer that in the event of war with Russia, they were confident it could be contained within Europe.
After years of funding terrorism throughout the World, they were given a wake up call on 9/11, but just went out into the wide World and caused misery. They have a one-sided treaty with us, use our airports for rendition flights, attack citizens in Countries they are not at war with, sanction assassination of foreign nationals without trial and the list goes on. We are slowly waking up to the fact that the US is the new Third Reich.

We might as well become the newest US state, if we are just going to do anything for them.

As to our country, it has always been the same Jon and never changes, this song by Matt Johnson was written over 26 years ago and is still relevant today.

Lyrics

Beneath the old iron bridges, across the Victorian parks and all the frightened people running home before dark
Past the saturday morning cinema that lies crumbling to the ground
And the pizz stinking shopping centre in the new side of town
I've come to smell the seasons change and watch the city as the sun goes down again
Here comes another winter of long shadows and high hopes
Here comes another winter, waitin' for utopia, waitin' for hell to freeze over

This is the land, where nothing changes
The land of red buses and blue blooded babies
This is the place, where pensioners are raped and the hearts are being cut from the welfare state
Let the poor drink the milk, while the rich eat the honey
Let the bums count their blessings, while they count the money

So many people, can't express what's on their minds, nobody knows them and nobody ever will
Until their backs are broken and their dreams are stolen
And they can't get what they want, then they're gonna get angry
Well it ain't written in the papers but it's written on the walls, he way this country is divided to fall
So the cranes are moving on the skyline, tryin' to knock down this town
But the stains on the heartland can never be removed from this country that's sick, sad, and confused

Here comes another winter, of long shadows and high hopes
Here comes another winter, waitin' for utopia, waitin' for hell to freeze over

The ammunition's being passed (This is the 51st state), and the lord's been praised
But the wars on the televisions will never be explained
All the bankers getting' sweaty (This is the 51st state) beneath their white collars
As the pound in our pocket turns into a dollar
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A. (U.S.A.)
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state of the U.S.A.
This is the 51st state, state, state, state, state, state

[TVC_Admin]

The inevitable appears to have happened, with Anton having previously brought torrent based filesharing to its knees through his treacherous betrayal of Andrej "Slonceck" Preston of the legendary SuprNova has now succeeded in setting a precedent against streaming and indexing sites by opening the doors to criminal prosecutions against them.

Describing Anton as the most arrogant defendant he had ever met in all his years (sentencing here), he was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to four years imprisonment. Those of us who know him wouldn't argue with the judge's assessment or the richly deserved sentence he handed down, and Anton was taken down to the cells to begin his well deserved stretch declaring that he now wanted to become a lawyer (a career which, with a criminal record and imprisonment, is an ambition he will happily never realise).

The only surprise here is that he didn't try and emulate that other principled fighter of human rights (or was it rapist?) Julian Assange in hiding in the embassy of a country notorious for violating the rights of millions of their people.

Having stolen all the code he used from others, as well as their identities in setting up offshore bank accounts (e.g Natasha Benoit of Horizon Networks, which he set up at Parex International Bank in Latvia), Anton was no more a genius than he was a martyr to any cause. He did it for the money, pure and simple, £15k a week to be precise.

People like Anton are damaging not only to themselves, but set back everyone's rights by years and make it harder to fight the injustices currently faced by McKinnon and O'Dwyer.

[tacoben]

I also think it is sad how some people are trying to move everyone to a modern age are getting mixed up with others who are just in it for money. It is time that the media especially papers like the Guardian actually reported properly.
It is however hard to tell who is good and who is bad unless you are deeply involved and massive companies like Google/YouTube get away with some very murky deals.

I was surprised the other day as I watch the wholee of 'Point Break' on YouTube and I wondered how this could happen. The link has gone but it took some time for its removal so I think it will not be long for time limits of removal to be part of the copyright law.

My feeling is the industry is picking on certain individuals to create an impression that all people involved in this new technology are just criminals. This keeps the general public on side. What is needed now is some of the good guys to show that is not the case and most people are just using their knowledge to improve the lives of millions.

I for one consider many sites as a lifelines and pioneers and without them the world would still be very big.

[TVC_Admin]

I agree with all you say there, my friend. The luddites who simply don't (or won't) understand that things are moving forward are holding progress back, and people like Vickerman have simply helped them through their unbridled greed.

Everyone knows that Youtube has succeeded off the back of piracy, as much as Google have profited not only from charging pirate websites for inclusion within related searches but through their "adsense" business.

The world is changing too slowly in some respects