Surfthechannel.com founder convicted
June 29, 2012
A man has been convicted on conspiracy charges relating to his operation of surfthechannel.com, a website offering links to TV and video content.
Newcastle crown court heard Anton Vickerman’s site had up to 400,000 users a day and made about £35,000 (€44,000) a month in revenue. While UK prosecutors did not pursue a case on copyright offences, Vickerman was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and faces sentencing next month.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), a trade organisation of rights owners, was a driving force behind the prosecution of Vickerman, passing a dossier of evidence to police, who then arrested him.
“These are landmark criminal convictions proving that those operating pirate websites are not outside the law but can be tracked down and brought to justice,” said FACT director general Kieron Sharp.