French military closes Torrent site

Piracy is dangerous for national security, it seems...

The French military has moved to close down a large Bit Torrent tracker in what is the first recorded use of a nation's armed forces under the control of the entertainment industry.

It seems that the French government used taxpayer funded military personnel to gather information in order to shut down the Snowtigers site.

According to Torrentfreak, French police arrested 10 members of the site's staff and seized more than 20 servers after the military assisted in locating them.

A representative of the French anti-piracy organisation ALPA confirmed that it had "worked very closely with the military" to locate the semi-private site.

ALPA president Frédéric Delacroix managed to convince the military that SnowTigers was a criminal organisation and therefore the use of spy technology in the hands of the military was warrented to shut it down. To make matters worse, it appears that those who donated money to the site could also expect to be dragged off into police custody.

Delacroix claimed that all people who have paid money to the site can now be questioned. Apparently the French government investigation has also been extended beyond the borders of the Republic.

It appears that it will only be a matter of time before the French government turns over its nuclear deterrent to copyright holders in a bid to bring the Scandinavian countries as well as Russia and China back into line.

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8 Comments

Bastard Child Jun 10, 2009 1:41 PM	"French Military" is misleading. They were from the National Gendarmerie.
majestic975 Jun 10, 2009 2:03 PM	Russia should just threaten to invade France, the Frensh would surrender straight away. Problem solved.
Hawkeye Jun 10, 2009 2:24 PM	You know, as much as even I enjoy making fun of the French, militarily, they really do get a bum wrap. I mean, this is the nation that held all Europe in thrall not too long ago!
Papa Lazarou Jun 10, 2009 5:37 PM	Bum wrap? Isn't that a military hazing ritual?
juggtron Jun 10, 2009 8:59 PM	BC - how does "French Para-Military" sound - like state sponsored thugs to me...
Argotha Jun 10, 2009 9:43 PM	Unfortunately past is past Hawkeye. (like you beat horus the first time round but Abbadon will kick cadia's ass) :P
alex8337 Jun 11, 2009 2:12 AM	"This is our world now. The world of the electron and the switch; the beauty of the baud. We exist without nationality, skin color, or religious bias. You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals. Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto. You may stop me, but you can't stop us all." - Hackers (1995)
Tiger_Btn Jun 11, 2009 2:00 PM	Pretty sad to be using military assets on their own people when there is so much important stuff going on around the world....apparently they have alot of time on their hands

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