A number of torrent sites have been blocked by ISPs in the UK following High Court orders in the last year, but now a new front is opening up in the anti-piracy wars. The City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) is kicking off a new campaign to crack down on illegal-filesharing sites. Several have been sent warning letters by the NFIB as part of “an initiative with Government and industry bodies to help prevent, deter and disrupt the criminal activity linked to websites involved in online copyright infringement”. The sites have been warned that they may be liable for copyright offences punishable by up to two years in jail, but also “encouraging/assisting distribution” of copyrighted content illegally, which is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The sites have been warned to contact the NFIB by 14 June or “face police action”, according to TorrentFreak. The NFIB has confirmed that this is a new initiative as part of its work with the BPI, Publishers Association, software body FACT and the UK advertising industry.
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