FC: Industry toasts first conviction under No Electronic Theft Act

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Wed May 16 2001 - 09:10:45 PDT

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    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.Dietzat_private> -----
    
    From: Caroline Dietz <Caroline.Dietzat_private>
    Subject: Software Piracy Conspiracy: First Guilty Verdict Under NET Act Dr
    	aws Praise
    To: Roni Singleton <Roni.Singletonat_private>
    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
    	
    debbibat_private 
    		
    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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