p2pnet - rss feed: Software pirate faces 10 years
p2p news / p2pnet: Nathan Peterson used to run a software web site. And the money he made paid for an, “extravagant lifestyle, including the purchases of multiple homes, cars, and a boat”.
Now, when you hit what used to be his iBackups.net, you see:
THIS SITE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY SHUT DOWN BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
The individual responsible for the operation of the iBackups website has pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal copyright infringement in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and faces up to 10 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and restitution of over $5 million.
Peterson, 26, of Antelope Acres, California, has pleaded to criminal copyright infringement after selling pirated software online and by snail-mail. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2006, says the DoJ.
He admitted that beginning in 2003, and continuing until his site was taken down by the FBI this February, he, “sold copies of software products that were copyrighted by companies such as Adobe Systems, Inc.; Macromedia Inc.; Microsoft Corporation; Sonic Solutions; and Symantec Corporation at prices substantially below the suggested retail price,” says a press statemnent.
“The software products purchased on Peterson’s website were reproduced and distributed either by instantaneous computer download of an electronic copy and/or by shipment through the mail of a copy on compact disc. Peterson often included a serial number that allowed the purchaser to activate and use the product.”
Among assets seized from Peterson were: a number of bank and trading accounts; a fully restored 1949 Mercury Coupe purchased originally for $44,000; a 2005 Dodge Ram; a 2003 Chevrolet Corvette; a 2004 Toyota Camry; a 2005 Toyota Corolla; and, a 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class purchased for $125,000, says the DoJ.
Also read:-
DoJ - Operator of Massive For-Profit Software Piracy Website Pleads Guilty; Caused As Much As $20 Million in Losses to Software Industry, December 12, 2005
December 14th, 2005 at 7:24 pm
‘…the money he made paid for an, “extravagant lifestyle, including the purchases of multiple homes, cars, and a boat”.’
Hmmmm… Is that a software “pirate” or a $ony executive we are talking about here?
December 15th, 2005 at 4:48 am
Hope he enjoys tossing salads. He deserves everything he gets for taking stuff that was meant to be shared and profiting from it. #^*%ing @s&hole!
December 15th, 2005 at 3:35 pm
See, if those corporate a-holes would go after the people selling \”pirated\” stuff, then maybe i\’d agree with them. Suing somebody for listening to your music is stupid. Sharing, multimedia and software .. however allows for a greater market.
December 17th, 2005 at 2:33 pm
Finally! They’re actually going after someone who deserves to get into trouble for their actions. I don’t object to the companies going after people who sell what they copy, but I have the strongest of objections to companies who go after people who share stuff without charging any money for it.
If something intangeable is going to be sold in some form, only the creator should be allowed to make money off it. If anyone else wants to distribute it, they MUST do it at no charge.