Remember Kickass Torrents. Yes the website from which your friends download all their movies, softwares and songs. Vaulin is alleged to own Kickass Torrents or KAT was hit with US criminal charges Wednesday, accused of distributing over $1 billion (roughly Rs. 6,724 crores) worth of illegally copied films, music and other content.
The complaint lodged is that the website offers “a sophisticated and user-friendly environment in which its users are able to search for and locate content” which is protected by copyright. KAT, which distributes films, video games, television programs, music and other electronic media, is estimated to be the 69th most frequently visited website on the Internet, according to a Justice Department statement.
“Vaulin is charged with running today’s most visited illegal file-sharing website, responsible for unlawfully distributing well over $1 billion of copyrighted materials,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell.
“In an effort to evade law enforcement, Vaulin allegedly relied on servers located in countries around the world and moved his domains due to repeated seizures and civil lawsuits. His arrest in Poland, however, demonstrates again that cybercriminals can run, but they cannot hide from justice.”
The website’s value is estimated at more than $54 million (roughly Rs. 363 crores), with annual advertising revenue in the range of $12.5 million to $22.3 million, according to the complaint.