TVShack creator pays fine to avoid US extradition

British student Richard O’Dwyer has avoided extradition to the US, where he faced charges of copyright infringement.

The 24-year-old, who created linking website TVShack, travelled to New York voluntarily on December 6 to pay £20,000 in compensation, which represents advertising profits his website generated between December 2007 and November 2010.

He has also signed a deferred prosecution agreement, under which he pledges not break any copyright laws and to stay in contact with a US correctional officer for six months.

O’Dwyer was arrested in October 2010, four months after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials seized his site, which linked to other sites showing films and TV programmes.

Home secretary Theresa May approved O’Dwyer’s extradition earlier this year, prompting widespread criticism from the press and public, who said his alleged crimes were committed on UK soil.

More than 253,000 people signed a petition created by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales to stop O’Dwyer’s expedition.