U.K. man arrested for allegedly hacking musicians, selling their songs

A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the U.K. for allegedly hacking into musicians’ websites and cloud accounts, then stealing and selling their unreleased songs.

The investigation actually commenced “across the pond,” in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which ultimately partnered with the City of London Police upon learning that a suspect was based in the U.K.

A City of London Police press release does not name the suspected hacker, nor does it identify the affected artists. However, according to reports, City of London Press Office said there were at least three victims, all of which were American, and some which were Grammy winners.

As part of the law enforcement action, the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) searchers properties in both North London and Ipswich. It was the latter location where the 19-year-old was arrested for alleged copyright and computer misuse act offenses.

“Today’s action marks a significant point in our investigation into the individuals responsible for stealing music and selling it on illegal streaming websites, worldwide. This sort of crime causes significant financial loss to those who work so incredibly hard to produce, write and make music for their fans to enjoy,” said Nick Court, a Detective Inspector within the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, in the press release.

“As one of the world’s leading creative capitals, New York City is dedicated to protecting artists’ intellectual property and ensuring that those who steal it face the music,” said Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr., whose office took on the case after being contacted by affected recording artists’ management companies. “As demonstrated by this investigation, my office has the expertise, resources and partnerships to help cybercrime victims reach across the globe to get justice.”