An 18-year-old computer hacker who stole songs from various musicians – including the wildly popular Lady Gaga – has been ordered to serve 18 months of detention in Germany.
“DJ Stolen” will also undergo therapy to end his Internet “addiction” while at a young offenders’ institute, and subsequently perform six months community service.
According to the prosecution, DJ Stolen – aka Deniz A – generated more than 15,000 euros for by violating copyright laws and hacking personal information.
Indeed, the “DJ” used phishing emails and Trojan horse software to steal pre-release tracks from a number of artists, such as the aforementioned Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey and Kesha.
The hacker was also found guilty of downloading explicit private images from Kesha’s computer.
In an apparent effort to reduce his sentence, DJ Stolen sent a letter of apology to the Daily Bild, a German tabloid newspaper, in which he wrote: “Dear Lady Gaga, I am ashamed of what I have done. I did not think about the consequences.”
DJ Stolen’s tactic appeared to have worked, albeit to a certain extent, as the judge ruled the teen was “driven more by a desire for recognition than by criminal intent.”
“The court considered the fact that both defendants are attested to be highly addicted to the Internet to be a mitigating factor,” a spokesman told AFP.
Jeremy Banks, from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) seemed relatively pleased with the ruling, saying the 18-month detention would likely act as a “deterrent” to other hackers, while helping to prevent “huge damage to artists and record companies.”
It should be noted that DJ’s accomplice, a 23-year-old man still living with his parents, was given a suspended term of 18 months.
