168

FBI busts musician’s elaborate AI-powered $10M streaming-royalty heist (arstechnica.com)

submitted 2 months ago by RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am just impressed by the idea and execution. Just wow. Too bad he took it too far.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] powerofm@lemmy.ca 60 points 2 months ago

Definitely an abuse of the system, but I'm struggling to see where criminal law says you can't make a bunch of fake accounts to listen to garbage music.

[-] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 27 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

In agreeing to be paid by music streaming platforms they almost certainly agreed not to do exactly this. Which makes it fraud.

[-] radiohead37@lemmynsfw.com 16 points 2 months ago

Sounds like a breach of contract, which is a civil matter.

[-] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 9 points 2 months ago

I think that depends on intent and amount of money involved, but I'm definitely not a lawyer.

[-] strongarm@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

Its also cyber crime which is possibly why the FBI need to be involved

[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 2 months ago

Corpos commit cyber crimes against wage slaves daily... Feds don't do Jack shit about it ... I wonder why this would in the land of the Law 🤣

[-] conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 months ago

Fraud is pretty broad and covers most things that deliberately misrepresent reality to take money from someone else.

[-] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 months ago

Yet advertising and billionaires exist. It's not what you do, it's what clique you're part of.

[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 2 months ago

Dont hurt the normies mate!

[-] GammaGames@beehaw.org 16 points 2 months ago

From justice.gov:

SMITH, 52, of Cornelius, North Carolina, is charged with wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.