EXCLUSIVE: Black Country pirates snared in global search

Named 'The Scene', the shadowy online gang has cost Hollywood millions of pounds and been responsible for thousands of movies, television shows, music, games and ebooks being made available for free on the internet.

Whether it's the latest blockbuster film, viewing-grabbing TV show or must-read ebook, The Scene can get its hands on it.

Its members then illegally put the material on the internet for people to download for free.

But now - in a worldwide first and following a three-year investigation - five men have pleaded guilty to being involved in the murky online world.

Together, they were part of a plot believed to have resulted in copies of up to 9,000 films being watched by as many as five million people in less than four years.

But how did they do it?

The Scene gets hold of the material through a variety of methods.

Some members use camcorders to record films at the cinema as soon as they have been released, with the race being on to be the first to provide a free copy online. Whoever posts it on the internet first gets great respect from the group.

Others make duplicates from 'screeners', which are advance screenings sent to critics, judges at film festivals or on panels deciding awards such as the Oscars and other film industry professionals.

They also set up their own splinter groups, recruiting others to record or 'cam' the films, and then sending them back to be encoded. The quality is then adjusted and turned into a torrent file, which enables a film to be shared quicker and more easily over the internet.

That file is then posted on a variety of sites where people can get the material for free. The sites include Extra Torrent and The Pirate Bay, which was shut down by police after a raid in Sweden in December but is reportedly planning a relaunch.

However, The Scene doesn't do it for the money - street cred and kudos among their contemporaries is the aim of members.

Pirates also go to great lengths to conceal their true identity and use tags or codes to identify themselves online to other members of The Scene.

Kieron Sharp is the director general of Federation Against Copyright Theft.

Talking about the arrests of Rafiq, Cooper, Baker, Hemming and Reid, he said: "The people targeted were suspected of being involved in the sourcing, editing, distribution and supply of pirated films via the internet. "Actions such as this help to protect the livelihoods of over two million people working in the UK's creative industries which contribute six per cent to UK GDP."

Sergeant Rod Rose, from West Midland Police's Economic Crime Unit, added: "First and foremost, copyright theft is illegal. But it also has a devastating impact on the economy and can leave you and your family open to receiving harmful content.

"Your computer can also be damaged by spyware and viruses. In the workplace, illegal downloading and file sharing can have serious repercussions for businesses. Spyware can infiltrate systems and firewalls compromising network security. We're pleased to be supporting colleagues from FACT and hope these arrests will have a major impact on those involved in the pirate scene both in the West Midlands, across the UK and globally."

At Wednesday's hearing, Mr David Groome, prosecuting on behalf of the FACT, said: "Each defendant is proposing to submit a detailed basis for their plea. Their legal representatives will need time to put their client's offending into context and, bearing in mind the complexity of the case, we do not object to this."

The Scene arrests follow on from another Black Country world-first pirating case.

Last year, Philip Danks, aged 25, of Livingstone Road, Bloxwich was jailed for two years and nine months after becoming the first person in the world to pirate a copy Fast & Furious 6 - a move that cost Universal Pictures an estimated £2.3 million.

But now, in a world first, five men have pleaded guilty to being involved in the criminal enterprise.

Following a three-year investigation, Sahil Rafiq, aged 24, of Warnford Road, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton, and 33-year-old Ben Cooper, of Dilloways Lane, Willenhall, have admitted conspiracy to defraud.

They were joined at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week by Reece Baker, aged 22, from Digby House, Colletts Grove, Birmingham; Scott Hemming, 25, of Perry Common Road, Birmingham; and Graeme Reid, 40, of Kingsclere Walk, Chesterfield.

Together, they were part of a plot believed to have resulted in copies of up to 9,000 films being watched by as many as five million people in less than four years.

The copyrighted material The Scene illegally distributes includes blockbuster movies, high-profile TV series, computer games, music, online apps, ebooks and pornography.

The defendants were involved in the piracy of films between March 2010 and January 2014. And it is alleged that groups either involving them personally or set up by them illegally posted between 7,000 and 9,000 movies on the internet.

Mr David Groome, prosecuting on behalf of the Federation Against Copyright Theft, said: "That is virtually every film released since 2010."

Federation Against Copyright Theft said this was the first time anywhere in the world that members of The Scene had been prosecuted for core activities.

Overall, the underground operation is feared to have cost creative industries billions of pounds in lost revenue.

Rafiq, Cooper, Baker, Hemming and Reid appeared at the Wolverhampton court on Wednesday.

Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, in that on diverse dates between March 1, 2010 and January 1, 2014, they conspired together, and with others unknown, to defraud such persons as have an interest in films by making, copying, distributing or making available on line infringing copies of films.

No further evidence was given in the hearing but the court was told there were 7,000 pages of exhibits.

The film pirates were each released on bail and will be sentenced later in the year when the full depth of the case will be outlined.

Recorder Nicholas Cartwright warned them: "The fact I am adjourning the case and giving you bail should not be taken as any indication of what the sentence is likely to be."

Members of The Scene go to great lengths to conceal their true identity and use tags or codes to identify themselves online to other members of the racket.

They also do not do it for money - street cred and kudos among their contemporaries is the aim.

They get hold of the material through a variety of methods.

Some use camcorders to record films at the cinema as soon as they have been released, with the race being on to be the first to provide a free copy online. Whoever posts it on the internet first gets great respect from the group.

Others make duplicates from 'screeners', which are advance screenings sent to critics, judges at film festivals or on panels deciding awards such as the Oscars and other film industry professionals.