Andre Yoskowitz
18 Aug 2009 3:42
A judge has ruled today that Matthew Miller of Delaware must pay $210,000 in damages and court costs for selling hundreds of counterfeit copies of popular software on the auction site iOffer.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) adds that the software includes Photoshop, Office and software from Autodesk. Miller would pirate copies of the software, burn them to DVDs, and sell them to customers for about $10 USD.
Miller was caught after he agreed to sell $11,900 worth of software to an undercover agent for $45 USD.
The fine is $195,000 in damages and another $15,000 in court costs and lawyer fess. Miller must also delete all "infringing" copies of the software in "his posession."
Jenny Blank, the BSA's senior director of legal affairs, added: "In the course of our efforts to stop software piracy, BSA and its member companies rarely take action against individuals. We prefer to educate and inform the public about the risks and consequences of using illegal software. But there are instances when the activities of individuals are both reprehensible and blatant, requiring the BSA and its members to act swiftly and definitively."
"This kind of piracy is arguably one of the most devious types of Internet-based piracy because it involves actual sales of unlicensed software to consumers," says Blank. "Consumers should be aware that the majority of these 'too-good-to-be-true' offers originate from unscrupulous vendors. Not only are the products and services offered by these individuals often shoddy, counterfeit or downright fraudulent, but the consumer may be tricked into giving away sensitive financial and identifying information. You may think you're saving money, but in the end, it could be far more costly."