Deal struck in massive TV copyright case

Richard O'Dwyer, a British man who owned and operated TVShack (a site that hosted illegal sharing and downloading of television shows) has struck a deal with authorities to avoid extradition to the United States and a prison term. 

The BBC reports that O'Dwyer, of Sheffield, England, was arrested in 2010 when American authorities alerted the British authorities to the laws being broken on TVShack. O'Dwyer reportedly collected over $230,000US in advertising revenue before his arrest and the subsequent closure of his website.

Back in January, a court ruled that O'Dwyer would be extradited to the United States in order to face prosecution and a jail sentence. Since that date, O'Dwyer's mother and none other than Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales have been campaigning for a ruling that would allow O'Dwyer to stay in Sheffield. Wales supported O'Dwyer's cause both publically and financially, once again raising slippery legal questions about the role of copyright in the digital age. 

The campaign has just paid off: in the new deal, O'Dwyer will avoid extradition and prison under what is called a "deferred prosecution" that would see him pay financial compensation to the injured parties. Part of the agreement, however, involves O'Dwyer making a voluntary visit to the US to finalize the deal before the close of 2012.