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‘Anonymous’ P2P users busted in Japan

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Uncloaked

By John Leyden • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 3rd December 2003 09:22 GMT

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Japanese police have arrested two users of a supposedly anonymous file-sharing network.

Investigators also raided the home of the developer of a software application, called "Winny", used by the duo in a unsuccessful attempt to shield their identity.

The arrested pair are suspected of using the Winny P2P network to distribute a pirated film (the Russell Crowe flick A Beautiful Mind) in one case and computer games in another.

The suspects are Katsuhiko Kimotoa, 41, from Takasaki in central Japan and a 19-year-old from Matsuyama in southern Japan, who can't be named for legal reasons, The Mainichi Daily News reports. It's unclear how police traced the suspects.

The arrests are believed to be the first of their kind in Japan. The Winny P2P network has around 250,000 users.

Police have shut down a web site offering the Winny application for download. ®

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