San Francisco - The FBI this week visited the operator of a blog that leaked pre-release tracks from the long-awaited Guns 'N Roses album "Chinese Democracy" -- a crime that under a 2005 law can carry a ten-year prison term, Rolling Stone and Wired.com reported. "Skwerl," the operator of the blog Antiquiet, posted the tracks for streaming on his blog but quickly removed them after being contacted by representatives for the band.

Skwerl told Wired.com he believes his actions "may be a legal gray area since it wasn't for download," adding, "We aren't sure who owns the recordings. I feel like I might survive this."

The 2005 Family Entertainment and Copyright Act established penalties for individuals found to have distributed "pre-release" copyrighted media. It provides for a 3-year prison term for first-time offenders, and up to ten years if the offense was committed for financial gain -- in addition to large financial penalties.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/2osno (Rolling Stone)

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/06/fbi-pays-visit.html

http://snipurl.com/2osq8 (DMW previous coverage)

http://www.antiquiet.com