Thursday 22 April 2004

The piracy 'scene' takes another hit

This morning Dutch anti-piracy group FIOD-ECD (Fiscal and Economic Crime Service), in cooperation with US customs agents, raided twenty university premises within the Netherlands thought to be cornerstones for the release group FairLight and a number of their affiliates. Two topsites were shutdown and speculation suggests that a major Kalisto archive site is now under the control of the authorities. An assortment of computer equipment has also been seized and several arrests have been made.

News of the coup spread like wildfire throughout the internet resulting in a 'scene-wide' blackout. This has blurred the distinction between captured sites and those which have been enshrouded as a precautionary measure.

Rumour has it that moments before 'politie' officers swooped on the university dorms, FairLight were readying the release of the eagerly awaited titles Manhunt and Hitman 3. Conversely, scene insiders largely believe this to be wishful thinking - since FairLight announced last year that they were gracefully bowing out of the scene, the remnants of the group have mostly been churning out low-key offerings. The rationale for the departure of the core members of the group is thought to be evidence that federal agents were getting too close for comfort - the seizure of a crucial German affiliate site attests to this theory.

If you happen to speak Dutch or even Babelised Dutch-English you might like to peruse this article for further information.

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