RnBXclusive.com was one of the most popular blogs dedicated to R&B/hip-hop music. It even had over 250,000 fans on Facebook. The site is now dead thanks to the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
TorrentFreak is reporting that SOCA not only took down the popular music blog, but they also arrested the site’s operators. Their crime – defrauding the music industry by posting links to copyrighted music.
SOCA is even threatening you, the reader, with jail time if you were to have downloaded from the site. In a rather ominous message, SOCA posted this on the take down page:
“The majority of music files that were available via this site were stolen from the artists. If you have downloaded music using this website you may have committed a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine under UK law.”
In a move that is sure to scare visitors, they also list your IP address, your browser, your OS and the time that you accessed the site. SOCA then says what they will do with this information:
“SOCA has the capability to monitor and investigate you, and can inform your internet service provider of these infringements. You may be liable for prosecution and the fact that you have received this message does not preclude you from prosecution.”
TorrentFreak says this sets a bad precedent as it’s the first time the UK authorities have taken action at the bequest of the entertainment industry.
This isn’t the first time this has happened though. The U.S. version of SOCA, ICE, seized the domain of popular music blog, Dajaz1. Mel of Dajaz1 had this to say to TorrentFreak on the similarities:
“Unbelievable, apparently the UK Govt doesn’t believe in Due Process either and their claims of damaging the industry and artists is unsupported propaganda. We’re completely against the process of seizing first and asking questions later.”
The SOCA page also lays on the guilt trip to those who may be inclined to download music:
“As a result of illegal downloads young, emerging artists may have had their careers damaged. If you have illegally downloaded music you will have damaged the future of the music industry.”
There has been no official statement on the take down, but there is sure to be one soon.