'Piracy' student Richard O'Dwyer loses extradition case

'Piracy' student Richard O'Dwyer loses extradition case

www.bbc.co.uk

A Sheffield student can be extradited to the US to face copyright infringement allegations, a judge has ruled.

Richard O'Dwyer, 23, set up the TVShack website which US authorities say hosts links to pirated copyrighted films and television programmes.

The Sheffield Hallam University student lost his case in a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

If found guilty in a US court he could face up to five years in jail.

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What has happened to the justice system here in the UK?!

I think this actually incredibly ridiculous, I don't think he has broken any piracy laws that I know of, all he did was create a website with links on there to other sites that had the pirated material, He payed no part in the copying of films, tv programs or music in any way! Nothing illegal was hosted on his website, linking to certain websites which contain such material in my opinion should not be an offense.

So how can he lose this and face extradition?

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

It's sad to see UK government doesn't care about its citizens, willing to extradite them over running a website with just links on it. I could understand them doing it if he killed someone in the US, but not over owning a website with nothing but links to movies/tv shows.

Some sites that only have links to movies/tv shows go too far, they make money by referring people to sites like megavideo that only allow you to watch 72mins of video a day unless you have a paid (premium) account. That is just asking for trouble, you tick off pirates wanting to watch videos for free and movie industry too.

There are countless sites that enable anyone to get movies etc for free here and all over the world. Why don't the uk start with American sites and extradite them all over here, then America can do it again, tit for tat, then Australia can start and so on! What a load of crap this government here is.
America says to them, jump, and they say, how high? Pathetic!

Hey, when you dance with the devil....the fee's always high.

The UK has been in bed with the US long enough to know how she was/is..a real two face bitch.

Now the US has the right to proescute anyone in the world by IT'S laws it would seem.

What the # happened to sovereignty. This is a British citizen.

I suppose if we dont hand over to her the bitch will put sanctions on the UK, blocking entry of Beyonce or Beiber cd's.

I just got an email from a site I used to be in saying because of the ruling, all warez has been shut down on his forum until further notice.......

I couldn't believe this decision was left to a Magistrate!? Fortunately there will now be a lengthy appeals process to the High Court and hopefully sense will prevail... hopefully.

The extradition treaty should be utilised for it's original purpose, to prosecute serious crimes where the accused has fled the country. From what I can gather this young man broke no UK laws and the server was in Australia!

Good article in the Guardian explaining the mess this treaty actually is:

www.guardian.co.uk...

This is unbelivable!! how is this legal?

im stummed for words

If he goes down then so should google and the like.

I've been using google to direct me to streamed tv and films for years.

In Google type +INURL:**ENTER A ONLINE VIDEO STORAGE URL** **TV SHOW/FILM NAME**

Bye bye Google, you low down online piracy site!!

Can't believe google hosts links to pirated movies and tv...

reply to post by dsm1664


*AN ONLINE

Sorry, iPhone!

smells like america want to be top bulldoggy in the cyberworld as well as on/around planet dirt. i doubt google will suffer the same outcome as this poor sod. making an example and possibly a benchmark for all future litigation revenue streams. this system has shown its true colours and i suspect the high court of appeal will be receiving their monsanto snacks and twinkies before the doors open for business with the corporate entity formally known as the justice system.
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This is a joke.. I hope he doesn't get extradited, it seems to be one way traffic.
Also the judge even said it was a minor offence and would not be an extradition case.... now all of a sudden the US want this student.... for what? Providing links?

Hell ATS has done the same.... most sites online link to movies and shows and stuff.


The guy kept no stuff on his site and did not break the laws.


I hope they tell the US immigration and Customs agency to go F themselves.

What the hell has this case got to do with the US ?
They have become the world police and that's because nearly every country in the western world is either in bed with them or completely afraid.
Does anyone know of a site that is holding a petition for this lad ?

This is another reason Ron Paul should be the next president.
He,s promised that stuff like this won't happen under his presidency ( at least in think he has) .
This is totally ridiculous !

I don't think they have a leg to stand on to extradite home, if they do that, then they will need to do that to thousands as there are as many sites just like his everywhere and it's like piracy when they jail one person, it's not going to stop anyone.
I reckon an appeal from his lawyer will win over this stupid ruling from America that has nothing to do with them in this country.
Would they extradite one of ours if we demanded it? I Think not.

say for example this extradition goes through and richard is put on a flight, processed and
begins his lodgings in one of americas finest privatised birdcages. are the uk or any of his
family financially liable for any costs incurred during this enforced vacation?
if the costs of his stay rest on the uk side of the channel then i suspect this is going
to evolve into quite an interesting situation with regards to 'revenue streams'.it may be a
tad premature to consider this but are the private prison systems in the usa gearing up for
an influx of foreign nationals to seriously boosts profits? all low risk prisoners of course!
an interview with his mother was broadcast on a brief slot of news the other day. this will
financially ruin her and i wonder where this revenue is richard was supposed to have made from the
site in question.
f.

reply to post by fakedirt


Unfortunately, despite him being a UK Citizen he will not be entitled to legal aid as an extradited accused. He and his family will have to meet legal costs whereas if he were tried in the UK a sensible Judge would throw this out.

Alas, if this is not stopped he will be tried by the sensible Judges in the US that handed down sentences of 25 years for such nefarious crimes as:

Shoplifting golf clubs: Gary Ewing, 25 years to life

Stealing a slice of pizza: Jerry Dewayne Williams, 25 years to life

Over 43,000 in California alone charged with nothing more than possession of an "illegal" substance. All sentenced to 25 years to life.

I will not comment on the US judicial system, that is your business but what is not your business is exposing a British citizen to it to placate corporate interests. He committed no crime in the UK.

reply to post by PW229


so, kenneth clarkes' silence on this case affirms some agreed procedure/financial arrangement in the offing? i suppose the court of appeal hearing will just about seal the deal then.

regarding californian sentencing practices,now that's pretty sick sentencing imo. am i correct in thinking that is based around the three-strikes ruling.

as for your last statement, it has me slightly confused. i'm in the uk so i have limited knowledge of the american legal system. dragging a fellow englishman across the pond, financially ruining his family in the process is quite unnerving in my opinion. if the justice ministry (uk plc llc ltd and sons) have a reciprocation with stateside private entities, it would sure be interesting to foi this setup just for the knowledge.


"The (computer) server was not based in the US at all," O'Dwyer's barrister, Ben Cooper, who has also been heavily involved in the McKinnon case, told Tuesday's hearing at Westminster magistrates court. "Mr O'Dwyer did not have copyrighted material on his website; he simply provided a link. The essential contention is that the correct forum for this trial is in fact here in Britain, where he was at all times."

above snipped from www.guardian.co.uk...

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