International efforts help take down movie piracy network Sparks Group

By Emmanuel Legrand

 

US authorities, in coordination with law enforcement units from 18 countries, have dismantled the Sparks Group, suspected of running a movie piracy network which has reportedly caused tens of millions of dollars in losses to film production studios.​ 

 

  Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has charged Umar Ahmad, George Bridi and Jonathan Correa with copyright infringement for their involvement in the Sparks Group, described as "an international piracy group involved in illegally distributing movies and television shows on the Internet."

 

  Bridi, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was arrested in Cyprus on an Interpol Red Notice based on the US criminal charges. Bridi has also been charged with wire fraud. The US authorities said they will seek Bridi’s extradition to stand trial in the United States. Correa was arrested in Olathe, Kansas, where he will be presented in federal court, while Ahmad, a citizen of Norway, remains at large. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Richard M. Berman.

 

Servers taken down

 

  Copyright infringement carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while wire fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Bridi has also been charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

 

  The operation was coordinated by the office of the Attorney General, with Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, in coordination with law enforcement authorities in 18 other countries and supported by Eurojust and Europol. As a result, dozens of servers controlled by the Sparks Group were taken offline around the world, including in North America, Europe, and Asia. According to prosecutors, the Sparks Group "utilised these servers to illegally store and disseminate copyrighted content to members around the globe."

 

A pipeline for wholesale theft

 

  “As alleged, the defendants were members of an international video piracy ring that was sophisticated and widespread. The group allegedly circumvented copyright protections on nearly every movie released by major production studios, as well as television shows, and distributed them by way of a worldwide network of servers," said Strauss, who added that key members of the group were in custody, and that the servers "that were the pipeline for wholesale theft of intellectual property are now out of service.”

 
  Jan van Voorn, Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection for the Motion Picture Association (MPA) commented: “The MPA applauds the work of our global law enforcement partners for putting an end to the piracy operations conducted by Sparks. As the MPA continues to protect the entertainment industry and the creative works it produces, it is gratifying to see such a strong coordinated effort to dismantle one of the world’s largest piracy enterprises.”