THE Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-cyber Crime Group (ACG) arrested Monday in Pampanga the suspect behind the illegal uploading and sharing of films and television shows online.
PNP-ACG Public Information Office chief Jay Guillermo said the arrest of Rainier Tamayo, a computer science graduate in Porac, Pampanga stemmed from the complaint filed by an international film group Internet Fraud Watchdog (IFW).
He said Tamayo was caught red handed while working on his website in their residence in Porac.
IFW executive chairman Ken Gamble said they had been tracking the person who runs a website in which international movies and television series are being uploaded illegally since 2011.
Guillermo said Tamayo is earning at least P120,000 every month from the advertisements in his website with around 5,000 audiences monthly.
"A day after it (movies) was shown, andun na sa website. 'Pag nakita mo free online, bakit ka pa pupunta sa cinema?" he said.
"The effect of putting a movie online, you will deprive the directors and people working in the movies," he added.
Authorities seized computer sets, laptops and routers allegedly used for his illegal activities.
Guillermo said Tamayo may be sentenced to serve six months to 12 years in jail for violating the Intellectual Property Code.
He however urged the public not to patronize such illegal activity and to immediately report suspicious websites, which may contain software or computer viruses.
"Kapag makakita sila ng pirated websites, i-report agad," Guillermo said.
"Once you download or click ang mga website, it can be a virus, Trojan or worm that can infect you computer and that can get the data saved in your computer. 'Yun ang problema na di nakikita ng mga naga-access sa pirated websites," he added. (Sunnex)
