Andre Yoskowitz
18 May 2009 2:18
Accused Microsoft product key counterfeiter Adonis Gladney has been convicted this week of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and is now the first person to ever be convicted under the DMCA for violations relating to the circumvention of security protections on software.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian, Gladney sold tens of thousands of the counterfeited keys, which are used to activate legitimate software products such as Microsoft Office.
"The defendant couldn't have executed his scheme without counterfeit access keys," Missakian noted. "(The keys) allowed purchasers to load software on multiple computers."
Missakian admitted that even the US Marine Corp. had been duped into buying the phony keys, among thousands of other clients.
With his conviction, it looks like Gladney will likely face 3-7 years in prison, depending on "the amount of monetary damage he caused."
CNet adds that Gladney, a Los Angeles native "would advertise software licenses in large volume on his Web sites, abovegroundsolutions.com or agsolutionsspc.com. Customers paid their money and received licenses, which prosecutors say Gladney claimed legally covered between 25 and 750 users. Gladney would then ship them a CD loaded with software that authorities say was not designated as a retail product for sale to the general public, such as software that typically comes bundled in PCs."
"By repeatedly using and distributing the same key codes on multiple products," added an FBI cyber crimes' spokesperson, "Gladney is circumventing one of Microsoft's primary security features for legitimate product activation in violation of (trafficking in unauthorized access devices)."
The FBI also added that the now 24 year old had begun the illegal business when he was 19 and earned over $3 million USD during its run. When he was arrested, two custom-built Lamborghinis were seized from his house along with money and computers.