Violating copyright on films and TV series can come at a high cost. This is highlighted by two recently concluded cases in which two individuals have been sentenced to several months in prison for the illegal distribution of copyrighted material.
While years of enforcement have effectively shut down the once-popular Danish file-sharing platforms, a small group of persistent file sharers continue to circulate films, series, and television content through more closed networks. But such actions are still traceable – and costly, as two men learned this week. Both were sentenced to prison for serious copyright violations, with several months of their sentences to be served unconditionally, according to a press release from the National Special Crime Unit (NSK).
In one of the cases, the offenses were linked to illegal services such as DanishBytes and SuperBits – platforms that Rights Alliance has actively fought to shut down. The other case involved the international file-sharing network known as “Scenen”.
Unconditional prison sentences highlight the seriousness of the crimes
The cases concern a 48-year-old man from Vordingborg, who was sentenced to one year and two months in prison, four months of which must be served unconditionally, and a 46-year-old man from Hillerød, who received a nine-month sentence, three months of which are to be served unconditionally.
In the NSK press release, Special Prosecutor Jan Østergaard states:
I am very satisfied with the verdicts. This is the first time the courts have imposed unconditional prison sentences on first-time offenders in file-sharing cases, even though they did not profit financially. The large volume of illegally shared copyrighted material was the decisive factor in the severity of the sentences.
Maria Fredenslund, Director of the Rights Alliance, says:
These verdicts send a strong signal that copyright violations are taken seriously and will be punished. For years, we have focused on shutting down illegal Danish file-sharing platforms, and thanks to our efforts in collaboration with NSK, we’ve succeeded. Let these verdicts serve as a wake-up call to users and operators alike: Copyright infringement can be detected – and when it is, it will be dealt with seriously.
About the cases
The two recently concluded cases are part of NSK’s investigation into a broader case complex with ties to multiple illegal file-sharing platforms previously reported by the Rights Alliance.
In the first case, a 48-year-old man from Vordingborg was sentenced to one year and two months in prison, with four months to be served unconditionally. At the District Court in Nykøbing Falster, he pleaded guilty to serious copyright violations for uploading content and hosting two servers for the file-sharing network “Scenen”. The material primarily consisted of Danish children’s series and foreign shows dubbed in Danish, sourced from several major streaming services. When NSK arrested him at his residence, he was caught in the act of copying and storing content from various platforms.
In the second case, a 46-year-old man from Hillerød admitted to illegally sharing 74 terabytes of films and series through the SuperBits and DanishBytes platforms. The District Court in Hillerød sentenced him to nine months in prison, with three months to be served unconditionally. He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.
NSK has stated that two additional cases in the same investigation have been submitted to the courts and are awaiting trial.