Australia convicts online pirates

The Australian case follows a major crackdown in the US

Two men have been convicted in what is believed to be Australia's first prosecution for online music piracy.

They were in charge of a website which attracted seven million hits in a year and allowed users to download 1,800 copyrighted tracks free of charge.

Charles Kok Hau Ng, 20, and Peter Tran, 19, admitted copyright breaches and were given suspended prison sentences.

Prosecutors in Sydney said they had cost the Australian music industry about Aus$60m (£25.62m).

A court on Tuesday heard that the pair had run the site, known as MPW3/WMA Land, from their parents' homes.

It's virtually an invitation for internet pirates to set themselves up in Australia Michael Speck, piracy watchdog

Ng, Tran and a third man, Tommy Le, 21, were arrested in April in a police raid following a joint investigation with Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI), a record industry-funded watchdog.

The trio had faced up to five years' jail and Aus$60,500 (£25,840) in fines.

Magistrate Graeme Henson said Ng and Tran's offences warranted a jail term because the men knew they were acting illegally and went to great lengths to cover their tracks.

But he gave them 18-month suspended sentences because of their youth and the fact that they never made a profit from the site.

'Disappointing'

Tan was also ordered to pay a Aus$5,000 (£2,118) fine, while Le and Ng were given 200 hours community service.

MIPI manager Michael Speck described the court's decision as "a slap on the wrist".

"It's most disappointing," he said. "Australia had the opportunity to show the world how seriously it was taking this type of crime.

"Instead, the court has allowed them to walk away after saying that they deserved to go to jail - it's virtually an invitation for internet pirates to set themselves up in Australia."