WOMAN IN MICHIGAN GETS TWO YEARS FOR SELLING COUNTERFEIT SOFTWARE

The following is an excerpt from the Department of Justice website:

Monday, August 15, 2011
“Michigan Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Selling More Than $400,000 in Counterfeit Business Software
WASHINGTON – A Michigan woman was sentenced today to two years in prison for selling more than $400,000 worth of counterfeit computer software, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Jacinda Jones, 31, of Ypsilanti, Mich., also was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term and to pay $441,035 in restitution. Jones pleaded guilty on April 20, 2011, to one count of criminal copyright infringement. According to documents filed in court, Jones grossed more than $400,000 between July 2008 and January 2010 by selling more than 7,000 copies of pirated business software at discounted prices through the website www.cheapdl.com. The software had a retail value of more than $2 million and was owned by several companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Intuit and Symantec . Jones’ activities came to the attention of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who made several undercover purchases of the pirated business and utility software.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Thomas Dougherty of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The investigation was conducted by National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Crystal City, Va., and by ICE’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit.
The sentencing announced today is an example of the type of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work. The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders.”