File sharer to star in anti-piracy ad

An online file sharer has been ordered to appear in an anti-piracy advert.

A man who breached copyright by leaking an album onto the internet ahead of its release has been ordered to appear in a new anti-piracy advertisement.

Blogger Kevin Cogill appeared in a US court after uploading tracks from the Chinese Democracy album from Guns N' Roses.

He was sentenced to a year's probation and two months of home confinement.

International lawyers acting on behalf of copyright holders had originally demanded prison time and a large fine for the online pirate.

As part of his sentence, Mr Cogill has been told that he must appear in a public service announcement for the Recording Industry Association of America.

The advertisement will air in the US next January and will convey an anti-piracy message to the public focusing on the illegality of online file sharing.

Appearing in court, Mr Cogill insisted he had not intended to harm the artists in uploading the unreleased material to his website Antiquiet.

"I wanted to promote the artist because I am a fan," he stressed.

It is not the first time that an individual member of the public has been taken to court in the US over illegal file sharing.

Last month, Jammie Thomas-Rasset was ordered to pay a fine of over $1.9 million (£1.15 million) for downloading and sharing 24 music tracks online.

It was the second time that the mother of four from Minnesota had appeared in court over the intellectual property issue, although she insisted there was "no way" she could pay the fine issued.