Share-Online was one of the largest cyberlockers in the German-speaking market, generating more than €50 million in revenue between 2008 and 2019 and enabling illegal infringement on a massive scale. The District Court of Aachen in Germany convicted the operator of illicit cyberlocker Share-Online to a two-year suspended prison term.
A law enforcement action in October 2019 by Gregory Skavron, the prosecutor at the Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime Nordrhein-Westfalen (ZAC NRW) and close cross-border cooperation with law enforcement authorities in the Netherlands, led to the shutdown of the platform, permanent removal of nearly 20 million infringing files from the internet, and the subsequent conviction by the Court.
“This ruling makes clear that operators of ostensibly neutral platforms cannot rely on liability privileges or professed ignorance. For a platform like Share-Online, it is not sufficient to merely acknowledge abuse notifications from rights holders. Anyone whose business model promotes or supports copyright-infringing acts is not only liable for injunctive relief and damages but also commits a criminal offense,” said Geerart Bourlon, Vice President of Global Content Protection Legal for the MPA.
Why it matters
Those who operate cyberlockers to facilitate digital piracy can and will be held criminally accountable for fueling online piracy. This action was supported by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading antipiracy coalition.
“We commend the outstanding work of ZAC NRW, whose expertise and commitment were instrumental to the success of this case. This verdict demonstrates that collaboration between rights holders and law enforcement is critical to dismantling large-scale piracy and protecting creators,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA.
Further reading
Operator of illicit cyberlocker convicted in landmark decision following ACE-supported action. Press release. November 26, 2025. Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)
