An Italian judge has ordered the operators of online music pirate sites to forfeit more than €2.4 million following an investigation into copyright infringement.

The ruling follows legal proceedings relating to a number of Italian websites that were used to offer unlicensed music for unlawful downloading. The websites had been the object of an investigation by the Italian Fiscal Police (GDF) back in 2003 with the support of the Federation against Music Piracy (FPM).

This investigation led to the charging of more than 54 people throughout Italy, but was dropped as a result of the expiry of the relevant limitation period. The Judge for Preliminary Investigations (GIP), however, considered it had been proved that the offences had been committed and ordered the seizure and the destruction of the computers in question and the forfeiture of money that had been previously frozen by the Office of the Public Prosecutor amounting to more than €2.4 million.