FBI for the first time arrested websites with pirated applications for Android

One large and two small sites involved in the distribution of pirated Android applications were closed during the first-of-its-kind operation of the FBI, the Department of Justice and a number of US government services and other countries.



Closed sites are:
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• applanet.net
• snappzmarket.com
• appbucket.net

According to PC World, FBI agents arrested three domains and received 9 search warrants. It is not yet clear whether the FBI and the Ministry of Justice will take any action against website owners or people associated with them.

Applanet, the largest of the seized sites, was represented as a repository of over 15,000 Android applications, according to Google's cache. On Facebook, Applanet “loves” 88,000 people, and the Twitter feed has 21,000 followers. Two other sites have fewer subscribers in social networks, however, for example, SnappzMarket advertises itself as a repository of more than 50,000 applications.

“Applications are becoming an essential part of our national economy and creative culture, and we must protect the creators of these applications from those who are trying to steal them,” said a representative from the Ministry of Justice.