It's been a losing year for the music business, as major labels continue to slide ever further towards obsolesce. Now, the industry has scored a small victory, as two German hackers accused of stealing and selling unreleased songs by Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Ke$ha and Kelly Clarkson have been busted.
The Associated Press reports that 18-year-old Deniz A. and 23-year-old Christian M. have been accused of implanting a Trojan horse in the stars' computers and using it to steal unheard songs. They then reportedly sold these songs online, raking in more than 10,000 euro (over $13,258.88)
Deniz A. has also been accused of downloading a sexually compromising picture of one of the stars and using it for blackmail purposes.
Local media in Germany have reportedly written that Deniz A. confessed to the crimes. His lawyer denied this, however, saying that his client "made some mistakes" but "is not that big blackmailer that everybody is trying to depict him as." The accused claims to have stopped selling the songs six months ago.
The investigation is expected to be concluded by January, and if the accused are found guilty, they could five up to five years in prison
The Associated Press reports that 18-year-old Deniz A. and 23-year-old Christian M. have been accused of implanting a Trojan horse in the stars' computers and using it to steal unheard songs. They then reportedly sold these songs online, raking in more than 10,000 euro (over $13,258.88)
Deniz A. has also been accused of downloading a sexually compromising picture of one of the stars and using it for blackmail purposes.
Local media in Germany have reportedly written that Deniz A. confessed to the crimes. His lawyer denied this, however, saying that his client "made some mistakes" but "is not that big blackmailer that everybody is trying to depict him as." The accused claims to have stopped selling the songs six months ago.
The investigation is expected to be concluded by January, and if the accused are found guilty, they could five up to five years in prison