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US-led raids target media pirates in 11 countries

Police in the US and 10 other countries seized more than 200 computers along with pirated films, software, music and games in a crackdown on illicit online distribution networks, officials said on Thursday.

US Attorney General John Ashcroft called the effort "the most far-reaching and aggressive enforcement action ever undertaken against organizations involved in illegal intellectual property piracy over the Internet."

The FBI and agents from other countries carried out 120 searches in 27 US states and 10 countries starting Wednesday, Ashcroft said.

The raids were carried out in Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore and Swe-den, the Justice Department said.

The aim was to crack down on senior members of international piracy organizations, also known as the "warez" community.

Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra said there had been no arrests so far in the US "but we do anticipate arrests." He did not comment on any arrests outside the US.

Ashcroft said "Operation Fastlink" has identified nearly 100 individuals worldwide and that "additional targets will be identified and pursued."

Officials said the groups are the source of most pirated works traded or distributed online through peer-to-peer file-sharing networks and other Internet sources.

Among the groups targeted by the operation are Class, Echelon, Fairlight, Kalisto and Project X, all of which specialized in pirating computer games, music and other digital entertainment.

Officials said the raids seized more than 200 computers, including about 30 computer servers.
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