Photo: Screenshot of shareuniversity.org

Ringleader behind ShareUniversity sentenced to 60 days suspended prison sentence

Oct 6, 2023 | Trials

6. October 2023

With a large collection of convicted ringleader behind Danish file-sharing services, Denmark has found an effective model to combat illegal file sharing with limited resources. However, it is crucial that we continue to protect the specialized forces in the NSK.

On Thursday, yet another perpetrator in the Danish file-sharing environment was held accountable when a 24-year-old man from Silkeborg was sentenced to a 60-day suspended prison sentence for copyright infringement. He was one of several backers behind ShareUniversity, the last Danish file-sharing service to shut down after the police crackdown on the Danish pirate scene in 2020. As a programmer, the now-convicted man helped to create and develop the service, thereby contributing to a high number of users gaining illegal access to thousands of copyrighted works, such as films, music, and e-books.

Following a report from Rights Alliance in 2020, the case was investigated by NSK and conducted as a confession case in the Court of Viborg. Prior to the hearing, the now-convicted person had made a settlement agreement to pay DKK 20,000 in compensation to the affected rights holders.

Special Prosecutor at NSK, Jan Østergaard, says: “I am satisfied with the verdict, which is based on a thorough investigation. The ruling emphasizes that copyright infringement is a crime taken seriously by the legal system.”

Read NSK’s press release about the verdict here (Danish).

The Danish Model Works

The illegal file-sharing environment is an extremely complex task to tackle, especially when the resources allocated to the authorities are limited. Nevertheless, Denmark has been a pioneer and has managed to create groundbreaking results by cracking down on Danish file-sharing services. This has had a major impact on limiting the illegal sharing of Danish content. The success is due to the fact that we have established a model where the Rights Alliance, as the representative of the rights holders, investigates and reports infringements. Afterward, the Section for Rights Protection under NSK investigates the cases and brings charges.

The model has proved to be crucial in ensuring that NSK’s specialized resources for investigating rights infringements can be prioritized sensibly. This can be seen in the 2020 actions against the largest Danish file-sharing services DanishBits and NordicBits, which shortly afterward led to the collapse of the Danish pirate scene. In the Zetland podcast “Frederik forklarer internettet”, Thomas Heldrup tells the story behind how the four Danish file-sharing services were shut down in rapid succession.

Screenshot fra shareuniversity.org, den 24. december 2020
“Sorry.. What was once fun and cosy has become too serious and dangerous. ShareUniversity closes in peace and order. All info will be deleted, which was already scarce. Donations made in December will be refunded to the best of our ability. More details about this in pm. Until then, keep downloading and have a Merry Christmas. Take care of yourself and those you love. We will.

Fearing the same fate as the founders of DanishBits and NordicBits, Asgaard and ShareUniversity announced that they would shut down despite a huge growth in users. However, this case, as well as the complex of cases against the seven Asgaard backers, shows that it was already too late.

Protecting Resources

The specialized competencies in the Section for Rights Protection at NSK have been crucial in ensuring that the Danish file-sharing environment has never found a foothold again and that a long line of backers behind Asgaard, DanishBits, NordicBits, and ShareUniversity have been held accountable. In February, the trial against the presumably final backers in the Asgaard case complex awaits.

The cases against backers, uploaders, seedbox providers, and users not only have a deterrent effect in the Danish context but are also widely admired by foreign authorities and rights holders. But the results were not possible without the dedicated efforts of the Danish police. We must, therefore, protect the resources in the Section for Rights Protection in the NSK so that we can continue to fight rights violations. Here we are facing a rapid development in artificial intelligence, which brings new challenges that can only be solved through specialized and dedicated efforts.