In one of the first ever extraditions for an intellectual
property offence, the leader of one of the oldest and most renowned
software piracy groups was this week extradited from Australia to
appear in a US district court.
Hew Raymond
Griffiths, 44, a British national living in Bateau Bay,
Australia, appeared in a US District Court in Alexandria before
Magistrate Judge Barry Poretz.
The defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit
criminal copyright infringement, and one count of criminal
copyright infringement.
Griffiths faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a
$500,000 fine if convicted on both counts.
Prior to his arrival in the US, Griffiths had spent nearly three
years incarcerated in a detention centre in Australia while
fighting his extradition in an Australian court.
"Griffiths claimed to be beyond the reach of US law, and today we
have proven otherwise," said Assistant Attorney General Alice
Fisher.
"This extradition represents the US Department of Justice's commitment to
protect intellectual property rights from those who violate our
laws from the other side of the globe."
US Attorney Chuck Rosenberg added: "Our agents and prosecutors are
working tirelessly to nab intellectual property thieves, even where
their crimes transcend international borders."
The indictment, which was returned in March 2003, charges Griffiths
as the leader of an organised criminal group known as DrinkOrDie, which had
a reputation as one of the oldest security-conscious piracy groups
on the internet.
DrinkOrDie was founded in Russia in 1993 and expanded
internationally throughout the 1990s.
The group was dismantled by the US Department of Justice and
US Immigration and
Customs Enforcement as part of Operation
Buccaneer in December 2001.
The action followed more than 70 raids conducted in the US, the UK,
Finland, Norway, Sweden and Australia.
Prior to its dismantling, DrinkOrDie was estimated to have caused
the illegal reproduction and distribution of more than $50m worth
of software, movies, games and music.
The alleged leader of one of the oldest
and most renowned software piracy groups has been extradited to the
US.