Recent Developments in Denmark’s Fight Against Piracy
A Danish court has recently handed down a nine-month prison sentence to a 46-year-old man for uploading approximately 74 terabytes of pirated films and shows to torrent trackers SuperBits and DanishBytes. In a related case, a 48-year-old man received a twelve-month sentence for hosting two servers that facilitated the distribution of pirated content, with connections to the notorious piracy group known as The Scene.
Over the past five years, Danish law enforcement has intensified its efforts to combat local torrent sites, particularly targeting private trackers such as DanishBits, NordicBits, Superbits, Asgaard, and ShareUniversity. This crackdown has led to the conviction of more than twenty individuals, including uploaders and administrators associated with these platforms. While some previous cases resulted in suspended sentences, the latest rulings mark a notable shift in judicial response.
The police reported that the 48-year-old defendant illegally copied content from three streaming services specializing in Danish children’s series, including dubbed versions. He was found to possess 134 terabytes of copyrighted material. Authorities noted that this individual had been active as a member of The Scene from November 2021 until his arrest in November 2023.
According to Nør Kjelbek, commissioner of the National Unit for Special Crimes within the Danish police, the case involves an organized network that unlawfully distributed an extensive array of films and television series via file-sharing services. Following the arrests, several factions of The Scene in Denmark ceased their production of new content, including the group DKiDS, which focused on children’s programming. The last upload from DKiDS was recorded on November 21, 2023, just one day prior to the arrest of the now-convicted defendant.
It is important to note that neither of the convicted individuals profited financially from the distribution of copyrighted materials, and both had no prior criminal records. The substantial volume of illegally shared content was a critical factor in the court’s decision.
In a broader context, the summer of 2020 saw a significant operation involving law enforcement agencies from multiple countries, resulting in the shutdown of numerous pirate sites. American authorities apprehended two key figures from groups such as SPARKS, GECKOS, DRONES, ROVERS, and SPLiNTERS, all of which are part of The Scene.
