The operators of Spanish piracy portals probably won’t be happy for the rest of their lives. They face penalties in the hundreds of millions.
Piracy is still laughed at by many users in this country who have not yet come into contact with penalties. An example in Spain could now have a deterrent effect, if the verdict even slightly goes in the direction that the prosecution envisions.
Four website operators are on trial there, accused of offering pirated copies. They face penalties: the plaintiffs are demanding up to 560 million euros, but it could end up being a “mild” 170 million euros.
Which websites are involved? The current and former operators of the websites are on trial:
- SeriesYonkis
- PeliculasYonkis
- VideosYonkis
(translated, these are series, movie, and video junkies.)
The sites were popular in the piracy scene and provided countless links to downloads of current movies and series.
What do the plaintiffs want? According to the accusations of the Spanish “Anti-Piracy Federation” and EGEDA (local film industry), they want a total of about 560 million euros in damages from the four defendants.
How high are the penalties likely to be? A verdict has not yet been reached. However, the demands of 560 million euros will probably not be met. According to a report, lawyers suggest that the payments will be capped at “only” 170 million euros. Additionally, a prison term of up to four years may follow.
For several years they have been operating “legally”: The curious thing about the case is that none of the three websites are currently operating illegally. Since 2014, the operators have reached an agreement with the company Filmin (a Spanish alternative to Netflix). Since then, the three portals only refer to legal services. Of course, the crimes from before do not get excused by this.
In every respect, this case will probably serve as a cautionary tale.
Do you find these (likely) penalties for operating piracy websites appropriate? Is the penalty too high? Or can’t it be high enough?
If you prefer to operate “honest” piracy, you might be interested in Sea of Thieves.
