The phenomenon still exists, as do the criminal consequences. Distributing digital copies of newspapers is illegal, as is downloading them and sending them to acquaintances on WhatsApp and Telegram. Postal Police officers are working to reconstruct the activity carried out by someone who, exploiting digital subscriptions to certain newspapers, including L'Unione Sarda, and magazines, sends them via instant messaging apps.
Anyone who distributes, or even downloads, the newspaper PDF and then passes it on to others risks charges of computer fraud, copyright infringement, and receiving stolen goods. This also causes significant damage to publishing companies, which have always been at the forefront of the battle against news thieves. Investigations from the Postal Police headquarters reveal that the phenomenon has decreased slightly compared to the past. But those seeking financial gain (through increased advertising revenue or donations) by illegally distributing newspaper copies are still active.
This recently occurred in a WhatsApp group in Cagliari with over a hundred members: digital copies of several newspapers (particularly L'Unione Sarda) were sent, illegally used by everyone, without spending a cent. A report to the Postal Police experts triggered an investigation: officers have apparently already traced the subscription used to produce the illegally distributed copies. It remains to be seen whether the holder of the subscription is also the perpetrator of the activity, which seriously harms publishing companies and the work of journalists, photographers, graphic designers, technicians, and administrative staff, or whether he is the victim of a scam. Responsibilities: those who create and distribute the digital copy are not the only ones at risk of criminal prosecution. Anyone who downloads and uses the PDF, without paying the full cost of purchasing the digital newspaper, can face administrative fines and even criminal charges. This is also because often, after downloading a copy of the newspaper, it is sent to other people.
A few years ago, a complaint filed by the L'Unione Sarda group triggered one of the first investigations in Italy, dubbed "Breaking News" and carried out by the Postal Police: two people ended up on trial and a third pleaded guilty.
