Adrian Kwiatkowski, a 23-year-old hacker, has been ordered to repay over £100,000 after stealing 14 unreleased songs, including two from Ed Sheeran and 12 from Lil Uzi Vert, and selling them on the dark web.
He had previously been sentenced to 18 months in jail after pleading guilty to offering songs in exchange for cryptocurrency. During their investigation, City of London police discovered 565 audio files on Kwiatkowski’s computer.
In his latest court appearance, Kwiatkowski faced three charges of unauthorized access to computer material, 14 charges of making for sale articles that infringed copyright, one charge of converting criminal property, and two charges of possession of criminal property.
A confiscation order was made against him, requiring him to pay £101,053 within three months. This amount includes £51,975 held in a bank account owned by Kwiatkowski and 2.64 BTC (Bitcoin) worth £49,528, marking the first confiscation order of cryptocurrency secured by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU). Failure to pay within the given timeframe could result in an additional 18 months of jail time.
Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, part of the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), highlighted the significant financial harm caused to the musicians and their production companies by Kwiatkowski’s actions.
He emphasized that the conviction was not the end of their work and that the confiscation order ensures that Kwiatkowski won’t benefit further from his criminal earnings.
Melissa Morgia, Director of Global Content Protection and Enforcement at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), praised the developments in the case, highlighting the impact of such criminal activity on artists and expressing gratitude for the international cooperation involved.
