FC: Industry toasts first conviction under No Electronic Theft Act

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

This is a press release from the Business Software Alliance, a group
of large software companies, talking about the No Electronic Theft
act. The law was controversial in some circles. It makes nonprofit
copyright infringement, as long as you know you're violating the law,
a federal crime. This law does cover pirate "warezzzzz" sites. But it
also means you'd better not share your collection of Microsoft
software -- and let's not even talk about music -- with your parents
unless you want to be a federal felon.

Background:
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/hr2265.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:e34bad5135a8dd41:www.time.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,12892,00.html

-Declan

----- Forwarded message from Caroline Dietz <Caroline.Dietz () Dittus com> -----

From: Caroline Dietz <Caroline.Dietz () Dittus com>
Subject: Software Piracy Conspiracy: First Guilty Verdict Under NET Act Dr
        aws Praise
To: Roni Singleton <Roni.Singleton () Dittus com>
Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 16:40:18 -0400
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)

 <<...OLE_Obj...>> News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           CONTACT:
May 15, 2001                                                    Debbi Bauman
                                                                202/530-5132
        
debbib () bsa org 
                
First Guilty Verdict Under NET Act Draws Praise 
Jury Finds Member of "Pirates with Attitudes" Ring Guilty of Software Piracy
Conspiracy

Washington, D.C. (May 15) - On Friday, May 11, a federal jury in Chicago
returned a guilty verdict in the first trial under the No Electronic Theft
Act, a 1997 law enacted to combat Internet piracy.  The defendant, Christian
Morley, 28 years old, of Salem, Massachusetts, was found guilty of
conspiracy to infringe software copyrights for his role in the notorious
underground group, "Pirates with Attitudes."  Thirteen of Morley's
co-defendants had already entered guilty pleas.  

"The Business Software Alliance commends the U.S. Attorney's Office and the
FBI for the investigation and prosecution of this conspiracy to pirate
software," said Bob Kruger, vice president of enforcement for the Business
Software Alliance.  "An important component of the overall effort to prevent
software theft and promote software copyright compliance is effective law
enforcement.  We would especially acknowledge the efforts and good work of
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Conway, Lisa Griffin and Special Agent Robert
Shields of the FBI."
 
Pirates with Attitudes
The original indictment in this matter issued on May 4, 2000, charging 17
individuals from across the United States and Europe with conspiring to
infringe the copyright of more than 5,000 computer software programs that
were available through a hidden Internet site that was located at a
university in Quebec, Canada.  The indictment named 12 of the defendants as
members of the underground group, "Pirates with Attitudes" (PWA), one of the
oldest and most sophisticated networks of software pirates on the Internet.
PWA disseminated unauthorized copies of software, including programs that
were not yet commercially available.  

The NET Act

The NET Act was enacted in 1997 to facilitate prosecution of Internet
copyright piracy.  It makes it illegal to reproduce or distribute such
copyrighted works as software programs, even if the defendant acts without
commercial purpose or for private financial gain.  Conspiracy to infringe a
copyright carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000
fine.  Restitution is mandatory.  

According to a recent study *, the U.S. software industry lost nearly $3.2
billion to software piracy in 1999.  This loss has a significant impact on
the U.S. economy.  It is estimated that software piracy cost the U.S.
economy more than 106,000 jobs, $5 billion in lost wages and more than $550
million in state sales tax collections.

*  "1999 Global Software Piracy Report" conducted by the International
Planning and Research Corp."

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is the voice of the world's software
and Internet industry before governments and with consumers in the
international marketplace.  Its members represent the fastest growing
industry in the world.  BSA educates computer users on software copyright;
advocates public policy that fosters innovation and expands trade
opportunities; and fights software piracy.  BSA worldwide members include
Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, CNC Software/Mastercam, Macromedia,
Microsoft, Symantec and UGS.  BSA website: www.bsa.org.

#       #       #


----- End forwarded message -----



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