AfterDawn: News

Two convicted in eBay software piracy case

Today, Robert Koster and Yutaka Yamamoto both pleaded guilty to selling almost $6 million worth of counterfeit software through eBay. The software was pirated versions of retail software produced by Rockwell Automation.

When they are sentenced, each could face up to five years in prison and $250,000 USD fines. The Justice Department said these two will join four other defendants in November for sentencing.



Rockwell creates software for factory management and the Justice Department said these latest two defendants made $30,000 USD in profits off 200 auctions of the counterfeit software from September 2003 to September 2004.

These two defendants are the eight and ninth convicted of being part of the same piracy ring.

Source:
BetaNews

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 26 Jun 2007 14:46

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• 9 comments

• windsong

  30 grand for a years worth of work? Effort vs. payoff doesn't seem worth it, imho.

  26.6.2007 15:38 #1

• DoomLight

  intersting.
  
  if all they made was 30,000 grand for selling supposedly 6 million dollars worth of software. that should tell someone that maybe thats all the software is worth. anyone with at least intermediate skill can get their hands on software on the net if they look in the right places anyway. i do think its stupid to sell that stuff. too risky and especially if it took years to make 30 grand. thats really stupid. they have this thing called a Job. people been doing that for years. those fools should try doing that instead of wasting blank Dvds on software.

  26.6.2007 16:05 #2

• Jasper44

  Yea 30k seems like a little bit for a years worth of work but if you noticed it said 200 auctions. When you look at it like that its a lot cuz they could easily have real jobs while doing that. But now that they got busted, seems pretty stupid.

  26.6.2007 18:06 #3

• borhan9

  Shameful.

  26.6.2007 21:53 #4

• Smee342

  im just glad to hear that they finally are going after idiots like these and not people who download music lol
  
  music to my ears lol
  
  
  smee

  26.6.2007 23:45 #5

• Pop_Smith

  Quote:im just glad to hear that they finally are going after idiots like these and not people who download music lol The problem is, they are still going after music downloaders. $30k would not be worth the effort, if it was closer to $100k then maybe.
  
  If you believe the amount the software was supposedly worth then they must have been selling it for pennies. $6,000,000 worth of software for $30,000?
  
  Those guys are stupid, first to try and sell pirated material over eBay and then on top of that to only sell it for pennies compared to what it was worth?

  27.6.2007 13:21 #6

• RNR1995

  If you sell pirated software you should go to jail, directly to jail, do not pass go , do not collect $200.00......And if it was 6 million worth of software how come they only made $30,000.
  That does not even make sense.
  The numbers do not jive, or is this the new RIAA math?

  29.6.2007 04:10 #7

• seb32

  lol, RIAA can't count ;)

  29.6.2007 13:14 #8

• Unfocused

  I love this RIAA and MPAA math. Leaves no doubt in my mind about our future generations...

  12.8.2007 17:36 #9