In a courtroom in Piraeus, Greece, silence quickly turned to shock when three police officers stepped forward, handcuffed a 59-year-old man, and led him away. Moments earlier, the judge had sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a €10,000 fine, plus €1,800 in court costs. His crime? Running a private torrent site—P2Planet.net—which had shut down more than ten years ago.
This dramatic conclusion to a long-dormant case is now making headlines in Greece, where authorities are renewing their push against digital piracy with visible determination. While the man’s name hasn’t been officially released, media reports confirm that he operated the now-defunct file-sharing website, which once attracted tens of thousands of users.
Why This Case Matters Now
Though P2Planet.net disappeared from the internet back in 2014, Greek authorities clearly haven’t forgotten it. The site was once home to around 44,000 registered members and hosted approximately 14,000 torrents, primarily focused on films, TV series, and music. In its early years, P2Planet struggled with technical issues, hacking attempts, and DDoS attacks before quietly closing down.
So why bring the case back now? The answer lies in the message Greek officials are trying to send. The ruling comes as part of a broader campaign by the country’s Cybercrime and Economic Police Units to hold copyright violators accountable—even if the digital trail is a decade old.
The Raid That Started It All
On June 16, 2014, just around the time P2Planet was shutting down, cybercrime investigators conducted a raid on the man’s home in the port city of Piraeus. Reports suggest that the suspect admitted to having administrative control of the site. Police seized a hard drive and began a forensic examination. Then, seemingly, the story disappeared—until now.
Although the evidence had been collected years ago, the legal proceedings dragged on. As recently as 2023, there were no updates. That changed dramatically this year when the court handed down the sentence, surprising even seasoned legal observers.
Setting a Legal Precedent
Criminal prosecutions involving BitTorrent activity are relatively rare in Greece, making this case something of a landmark. It’s not, however, entirely without precedent.
In 2019, another Greek man received a similar five-year sentence for operating pirate sites such as GreekStars.net and GreekStars.co. That case also involved multiple domains and repeated infringements between 2009 and 2014. Although the court initially handed down a suspended sentence in April 2014, the man’s return to illegal activity triggered a harsher verdict later that year. The court revoked the suspension and ordered immediate imprisonment.
In comparison, the P2Planet case involves just one domain, one operator, and crimes that occurred more than ten years ago. Still, the court made it clear that the time lapse did not reduce the seriousness of the offense.
Is Deterrence the Real Goal?
Authorities claim that such sentences are not just about punishment—they’re about deterrence. Locking up someone nearing 60 for running a site that’s been offline since 2014 is meant to send a message: piracy, no matter how old, won’t be ignored.
However, critics argue that the impact of such delayed justice may be limited. Much of the digital generation that once used P2Planet has since moved on to streaming services or newer platforms. Some may not even remember the site. The gap between the crime and the conviction risks dulling the effect of any deterrent value.
A Changing Digital Landscape
It’s also worth noting that piracy itself has evolved. With the explosion of legal content through platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and Disney+, many former torrent users now have affordable and legal alternatives. Piracy hasn’t disappeared, but the landscape is different from what it was in 2011, when P2Planet first went online.
Despite this, Greek authorities seem committed to ensuring that digital piracy—whether active or archived—is treated seriously under the law. Their message: abandoning a pirate site doesn’t absolve one of responsibility.
