A 22-year-old hacker from Luton, Skylar Dalziel, has avoided jail despite profiting £42,000 from selling unreleased music on the dark web. The illegal operation included high-profile tracks from artists like Coldplay, Shawn Mendes, Melanie Martinez, and Bebe Rexha. Sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years, Dalziel also faces significant penalties, marking a critical case in digital music piracy.
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How Dalziel’s Operation Unraveled
The investigation began after the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) alerted the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) in London to stolen tracks surfacing online. Dalziel had illegally accessed cloud storage accounts linked to prominent recording artists, stealing over 291,941 music tracks, many of which were unreleased.
Police raided her home in January 2024, uncovering hard drives filled with stolen songs and a spreadsheet tracking sales to various buyers.
Illegal Profits and Online Tactics
Dalziel sold the stolen music on the dark web, using Bitcoin to facilitate transactions and cover her tracks. A detailed review of her PayPal and bank accounts revealed payments totaling £42,049 between April 2021 and January 2023.
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She sourced the unreleased music from three major record labels, often purchasing them through illicit dark web channels.
Court Sentencing and Penalties
At Luton Crown Court, Dalziel pleaded guilty to nine copyright offences and four computer misuse offences. While the sentence included 21 months in prison, it was suspended for two years, sparing her jail time.
The court also imposed:
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- 180 hours of unpaid community work
- 10 rehabilitative activity days
- Forfeiture and destruction of all equipment linked to the crime
Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt from PIPCU emphasized the broader impact of such crimes:
“Stealing copyrighted material for financial gain jeopardizes the livelihoods of artists and the people who help create their music. This type of activity contributes to over 80,000 job losses annually.”
International Connections and Future Investigations
Authorities suspect Dalziel collaborated with international actors to expand her operations. Investigators are now working to identify overseas accomplices, highlighting the global nature of digital music piracy.
Richard Partridge from the Crown Prosecution Service condemned Dalziel’s actions:
“Her actions displayed a blatant disregard for the creativity and hard work of musicians, impacting not just artists but also employees in the music industry.”
A Stark Warning to Cyber Criminals
This case serves as a wake-up call to cybercriminals targeting intellectual property. Dalziel’s operation exploited artists and their audiences for personal gain, demonstrating the risks and consequences of such illegal activities.
Authorities are cracking down on digital music piracy with advanced tools and international cooperation, ensuring that offenders are held accountable.
A Broader Impact on the Music Industry
Dalziel’s actions highlight a larger issue within the music industry: the vulnerability of unreleased material in a digital age. Stolen tracks not only result in financial losses but also disrupt the creative process for artists and their teams.
This case underscores the importance of stringent cybersecurity measures and continued vigilance to protect intellectual property.
