Legal Consequences of Torrenting Resurface After Years
Piracy has a way of resurfacing, even after years of dormancy. A 59-year-old Greek national, previously the operator of a torrent portal, has recently faced the long-awaited consequences of his actions. The court has sentenced him to prison time, alongside a hefty financial penalty. This case marks the second of its kind in Greece’s legal history, potentially setting a precedent for future rulings.
The final verdict was delivered on May 29, but it has only recently gained attention beyond Greece’s borders. According to reports from Tom’s Hardware, the individual was sentenced to five years in prison for managing the torrent site P2Planet from 2011 to 2014, which hosted over 14,000 links to torrent files.
At the height of its popularity, the site reportedly fell victim to a DDoS attack, leading to a breach of its database, which was subsequently leaked online. This breach likely provided law enforcement with the necessary leads to apprehend the man, who had been awaiting his sentence since his arrest in 2014. After more than a decade of uncertainty, he has now been sentenced to five years in a general regime prison, along with a fine of €10,000 and court costs amounting to €1,800.
Interestingly, a similar ruling was issued several years prior, when the owner of another torrent site received a five-year prison sentence, albeit without the imposition of a financial penalty. This evolving landscape of legal action against torrenting suggests that the repercussions of digital piracy are far from over.
