Apocalypse Production Crew

{{Short description|Warez organization}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Apocalypse Production Crew

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| size = 180px

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| caption = ASCII art logo for aPC designed by NFO artist rnz.
The caption below reads: "You've been owned by the crew."

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| formation = May 1997

| dissolved = April 2004

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| purpose = mp3 warez

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| location = United States

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| leader_title = Origin

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| leader_title2 = Platforms

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| leader_title3 = Founders

| leader_name3 = acid^rain and Viper

| leader_title4 = Products

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Apocalypse Production Crew (styled as aPOCALYPSE pRODUCTION cREW or aPC) was a major MP3 warez organization founded by two individuals known under the pseudonyms acid^rain and Viper in May 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.mp3scene.info/groups/view/apc/ |title=Apocalypse Production Crew on MP3Scene |publisher=MP3Scene |access-date=2011-08-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027213951/http://www.mp3scene.info/groups/view/apc/ |archive-date=October 27, 2011 }} aPC operated well into the mid-2000s and was subject to raid during Operation Fastlink—a coordination of four separate simultaneous undercover investigations by the FBI, the FBI Cyber Division, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) of the Criminal Division and Interpol. aPC was known to many as the first organized group to put mp3s onto the internet. Their efforts predated the scene and started with composing MIDI versions of popular songs.

On August 21, 2003, Mark Shumaker (known by the pseudonym markalso), pleaded guilty to violating copyright laws and became the first federal criminal prosecution of someone who specialized in music piracy after having been raided in Operation Buccaneer. Shumaker was previously a leader of aPC, but at the time of the raid, he had retired his role. No members of aPC were raided as a part of Operation Buccaneer. They would five years later, however, be raided in Operation Fastlink which caused the disbanding of the group.{{cite web |url=http://www.cybercrime.gov/shumakerPlea.htm |title=Online Music Piracy Leader Pleads Guilty |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice |date=2003-04-21 |access-date=2007-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927094100/http://www.cybercrime.gov/shumakerPlea.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }}{{cite mailing list |url=http://lists.virus.org/infocon-0308/msg00076.html |title=Security In The News - August 25, 2003 |date=2003-08-25 |access-date=2007-09-15 |mailing-list=INFOCON |last=Institute for Security Technology Studies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210748/http://lists.virus.org/infocon-0308/msg00076.html |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/222389/us_convicts_15th_largest_music_piracy_case/ |title=US convicts 15th in largest music piracy case - PC World Australia |publisher=Pcworld.idg.com.au |date=2008-05-27 |access-date=2012-09-17}}