Obama quizzed on Briton extradition

US President Barack Obama has faced heavy questioning over attempts to extradite a British student accused of breaking American copyright laws.

Richard O'Dwyer, 23, is wanted for allegedly earning thousands of pounds through the TVShack website he created which enabled users to watch films and television shows for free.

His case topped a list of subjects that American voters put to their president during an online question and answer session.

Mr Obama told participants in the web discussion that he was not personally involved in the case but insisted the administration wanted to ensure that intellectual property was protected "in a way that's consistent with internet freedom".

Mr O'Dwyer, a Sheffield Hallam University undergraduate, faces jail if convicted of the allegations. His lawyers say he would be the first British citizen to be extradited for such an offence and would effectively become a "guinea pig" for copyright law in the US.

US voters used an online question
and answer session with President Barack Obama
 to quiz him on the case of Richard O'Dwyer

Earlier this month, a court ruled that the student could be sent to the US to face trial.

It came after his legal team told London's Westminster Magistrates' Court that the TVShack website did not store copyright material itself but merely pointed users to other sites, in the same way that Google and Yahoo operate.

His mother Julia, from Chesterfield, said she was "disgusted" by the court's decision and claimed the UK's extradition treaty with the US needed "fixing fast".

Mr O'Dwyer was arrested by City of London Police in November 2010.

The US authorities allege he received more than 230,000 US dollars (around £147,000) in advertising revenue between 2008 and 2010 when his site was shut down.