FBI arrest blogger for leaking unreleased Guns n' Roses tracks

Skwerl is charged with violating the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005, which brings a possible three to six years in the slammer in addition to fines for each violation – nine counts in this case. Needless to say, the songs have been removed fromSkwerl’s “Antiquiet” website.

Since June of this year when Skwerl first uploaded the tracks, his here-to-fore obscure blog was deluged with a server-crashing exaflood of hits leading to publicity across multiple media outlets including Rolling Stone and Time Magazine and, of course, eventually raised eyebrows at Geffen Records and at the FBI.

The web being what it is, our intrepid blogger Skwerl documented the vagaries of the entire affair in an odd, exhibitionistic game of virtual cat and mouse with the FBI: from the first streaming of the songs, his Rolling Stone interview to undercover G-Men snooping around his music biz offices (times have changed - the FBI used to eavesdrop on beat combo artists like John Lennon, now they watch the fans) finally culminating in yesterday’s arrest.

"More and more each day it looks like I may be indicted. Pardon the self-indulgent post,” Skwerl blogged on Monday … “I may just be tripping, but just in case… If there are any lawyers out there horny for some high-profile copyright law battle, drop us a line."

Is Skwerl a nutter? Or a digital-rights crusader? It's hard to say judging from his rambling blogposts.