http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4190581.stm

$250,000 and 5 years in prison??
How long do rapists get in the US out of interest?

Where's my decoder ring?

I suppose that means they were making money at it?



All depends I guess... which state, are you poor, etc. With enough money you can get away with murder.

Yes, that is what that means. That's why they got caught.
Filesharing is not a big deal in the U.S. in terms of getting caught unless they have evidence you were doing it for more than private use.

Let's face it though. I don't have any problem with people downloading whatever for personal use, but selling it in some way? Or selling access to their files? That's bullshit. They deserve it.



Sometimes true, but not often. But then...it's an old legal axiom that in the United States, we would rather have 100 guilty men go free than put 1 innocent man behind bars. You know...that whole freedom thing.

<img src="http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor/images/mvflag.jpg">

I assume one of our American friends will correct me but I thought copyright violation was a civil offence in the US and therefore can only be penalised by a fine.

The vast majority of copyright infringements are civil in nature and are not subject to any criminal penalties. In the past, criminal liability has usually applied to situations of large-scale piracy of copyrighted works. More recently however, Congress has increased the scope of criminal copyright liability in response to lobbying by the entertainment and computer software industries. Congress realized that with the widespread availability of copying technology and that technology?s ability to make perfect reproductions, anyone can now commit large-scale copyright infringement.

1976 Copyright Act: 506A

criminal copyright infringement of any of the copyright owner?s exclusive rights is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine, or both. However, criminal infringement of the reproduction or distribution rights may also be punishable as a felony if the defendant reproduced or distributed at least ten copies or phonorecords of one or more copyrighted works with a retail value of more than $2,500 during any 180-day period. Felony copyright infringement is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years (and up to ten years for subsequent offenses), a fine, or both.

I think the rich/powerful can get away with murder and more and that has nothing to do with America or any other country. It predates them.

George, actually, if it were civil, it would be a lawsuit. Apparently, it is a felony in the US to produce or distribute "within any 180-day peri?od of at least 10 copies or phonorecords, of 1 or more copyrighted works, with a retail value of more than $2500". The distribute is where they get the P2Pers. Though, it may have most to do with these guys selling something. Or maybe, they just really hate DC.

Some info on the law:
http://www.law2.byu.edu/jel/sp1994/html/BARTON.htm

You beat me. Oh well, the links there, at least.

I'm pretty sure it does.
For as long as I've been doing things online of...let us say questionable legality...I've been told never to profit from it. Private use is looked over, but selling pirated material or selling rights to pirated files is bad news.



I tend to agree with you, actually. I mean, who has the resources to cover up a murder, ya know? Some guy in the Suburbs who worries about his mortgage and has neighbors who go to church with him, or some guy with 50 million dollars?

You know what they used to say about the Microsoft lawsuit in this country? That Microsoft actually had more money to defend themselves than the Justice department had to prosecute them. There are actually states in the United States that had a reasonable legal gripe with Microsoft, but wouldn't sue, because if Microsoft has more money than the Federal Justice Department, what chance does a State's Attorney have?

Yeah I agree on this issue,,,sure fair enough to enjoy a few films and LPs but dont start making money from any d/l you make,,thats just wrong,,,I hate seeing the cheap arse film & music bootleggers who come into my local pub selling dodgy d/l stuff,,,most of the stuff's bland mainstream crap anyhow sold on by morons as a way to make a quick buck,,,I'm sure the bulk of guys here and other genre sites are honest film fans who probably snag the odd file online as its the only way they would have of ever enjoying it