WASHINGTON, D.C. – Waiting in long lines to see the newest Star Wars movie has become a right of passage for fans of the series. But not all fans are as patient – and some are not willing to wait until the lines are shorter. In fact, some fans are so impatient that they’d rather distribute pirated copies on the internet than stand in line. Like a scene from the films, federal agents have stepped up efforts to squash online piracy of movies and other downloadable – and copyright protected – media content.The first high-tech pirates to taste the business end of the sword of federal justice are those behind the now-defunct Elite Torrents site, which allowed 10,000 downloads of the not-then-released Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith blockbuster. Downloads started six hours before the movie was first shown in theaters. The film was only one of 17,800 movies and computer programs available to the 133,000 members of Elite Torrents.

Visitors to the Elite Torrents site will no longer be met with lists of copyrighted movies available before commercial release. Instead they will see an enormous text notice stating that the site “has been permanently shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Individuals involved in the operation and use of the Elite Torrents network are under investigation for criminal copyright infringement,” and a warning about the penalties for copyright infringement. The Elite Torrents pirates will have the dubious privilege of learning first hand about President Bush’s new anti-piracy laws, which set tough penalties of up to 10 years in prison for those who distribute music or movies prior to their commercial release.

The tool of choice with this next generation of pirates is BitTorrent technology, according to the Justice and Homeland Security Department. The file-sharing program is favored due to its speed and efficiency and has gained favor after the recording industry’s prosecution of Kazaa, Morpheus, and Grokster programs. Last year, Hollywood film studios sued a number of individuals for using BitTorrent technology as part of their online piracy efforts. The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that such theft cost the industry $2.5 million last year alone.

Warrants were served to individuals in 10 cities, according to the Homeland Security Customs and Immigration Enforcement agency. Although the warrants are still under seal, the cities affected are Anthem, AZ, Chicago, IL; Leavenworth, KS; Berea, OH; Erie PA, Austin, TX; Clintonwood, VA; Wise, VA; and Germantown, WI.

According to John C. Richter, acting assistant attorney general, “Today’s crackdown sends a clear and unmistakable message to anyone involved in the online theft of copyrighted works that they cannot hide behind new technology.”