The Feds have stricken a huge blow against piracy, friends, protecting the sanctity of life here on planet Earth for yet another day. Sing! Let’s go back to 2004, when Operation Fastlink shut down various release groups, including Fairlight. The last guy from all that mess, one Greg Hurley, pled guilty last week, but is unlikely to face jail time. His crime? “Criminal copyright infringement,” which seems redundant—is there any other kind of copyright infringement?

Specific to Hurley, he’s accused of, and, plead guilty to, I guess, being a supplier. That is, he—get this—“supplied” content to others, like crackers and couriers, who then made it available to the rest of us.

(If you’re interested in how “the scene” works, be sure to pick up this old issue of 2600. It explains everything so easily that even a Cavem… oh enough already with the caveman.)

Hurley learns his fate this spring.

Photo: Flickr