In a landmark legal decision in Greece, a 59-year-old resident of Piraeus has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in operating the P2Planet.net torrent site, a non-profit file-sharing network that has been inactive for nearly a decade. The court also imposed a fine of 10,000 euros and required him to pay an additional 1,800 euros in legal fees. The P2Planet case is significant as it marks the first instance in Greece where an individual has been imprisoned for sharing files via BitTorrent.
P2Planet.net, active between 2011 and 2014, accumulated more than 44,000 registered users and hosted around 14,000 торренты, encompassing movies, music, and software. Notably, the site did not generate substantial profit, and its administrator faced financial hurdles, including expenses for hosting and enduring multiple DDoS attacks. Despite these challenges, the repercussions of operating such a platform were severe.
P2Planet admin sentenced in Greece for torrent site operation
Legal Proceedings and Shock Verdict
The events leading to this conviction began over a decade ago when authorities raided the defendant's residence, confiscating a hard drive that became central to the court proceedings. Following this lengthy process, the appeals court of Piraeus issued a final приговор that shocked many onlookers, as the man was arrested directly in the courtroom.
This case signals a decisive shift in Greece's approach towards copyright enforcement, showing alignment with broader EU efforts to curtail digital piracy. Previously, another administrator for the greekstars.net and greekstars.co torrent sites faced similar charges. Although initially handed a suspended sentence, he eventually served time after attempting to reboot the platforms.
While streaming services have surpassed torrents as the primary medium for sharing pirated content, P2P networks remain under close scrutiny from law enforcement, particularly within EU jurisdictions. The recent developments point to an increasing emphasis on addressing these networks, underscoring the serious risk individuals face in managing or participating in such file-sharing activities.
