Simmons' Websites Shut After Hack Attack

The bassist's online portals, Simmonsrecords.com and Genesimmons.com, were forced offline by members of internet campaign group Anonymous, who have targeted a number of sites linked to copyright-protection organisations in recent weeks.

The attack on Simmons' websites allegedly comes in retaliation after the musician spoke out about illicit internet downloads on Tuesday (12Oct10), urging other artists to protect their "brand", according to Guardian.co.uk.

He told an industry panel, "Make sure your brand is protected. Make sure there are no incursions. Be litigious. Sue everybody. Take their homes, their cars. Don't let anybody cross that line.

"The music industry was asleep at the wheel, and didn't have the balls to sue every fresh-faced, freckle-faced college kid who downloaded material. And so now we're left with hundreds of thousands of people without jobs. There's no industry."

Other sites to have been targeted by the group include the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America and the Copyright Alliance.