SEOUL, S. KOREA — A group of 50 U.S. and Japanese adult content producers has banded together and filed a lawsuit against 10,000 South Korean internet users accused of uploading massive amounts of pirated content to 80 South Korean websites.The complaint, registered simultaneously with 10 National Police Agency stations in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, claims to have identified the most egregious copyright infringers who profited from their activities. Some of the alleged conspirators earned as much as 30 million won (about U.S. $24,000) monthly by charging website visitors to view the stolen content, according to documents in the case.
Attorneys for the content producers seek financial compensation and criminal charges. In South Korea, copyright infringement is punishable by a significant jail term.
“Police will look into the case to see whether there was any breach of the law before deciding whether to initiate criminal probes against [the individuals named in the suit],” an anonymous police official told AFP.
An attorney for the plaintiffs said his clients also will file a lawsuit against the owners of the 80 South Korean websites to which the pirated content was uploaded.
