Student can be extradited over free movie-TV website

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Updated: February 15, 2012 8:08AM

LONDON — A judge in Britain has ruled that a student accused of setting up a website that gave people access to films and TV shows for free can be extradited to the United States to face copyright violations.

Richard O’Dwyer is alleged to have earned thousands of pounds (dollars) through advertising on the website.

O’Dwyer’s lawyer, Ben Cooper, said Friday that the site — TVShack— did not store copyrighted material itself, but pointed users to other sites.

Cooper claims his 23-year-old client is being used as a “guinea pig” to test copyright law in the U.S.

But District Judge Quentin Purdy ruled at Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the extradition could go ahead.

Outside the court, O’Dwyer said he would
appeal to Britain’s High
Court. AP