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Software pirate goes to jail for seven years
Does not pass go, does not collect $200. iBackups.net owner Nathan Peterson received an 87 month sentence for software piracy, which is a record for sentences to date. For those of you who don't feel like doing the math, that's seven years and three months. Nathan also has to repay $5.4 million in restitution in $200 monthly payments after he gets out of prison. iBackups.net damages were reportedly $20 million instead of the usual for most cases, which sits at $9 million. Peterson used Google's AdSense to find customers for his pirated software. The FBI seized homes, half a dozen cars, and even a boat from Peterson, which he had obtained using money from what the court called a federal offense. So, I guess the lesson here is the next time you are about to pirate software, don't.
Comments
6
Subscribe to commentsDannySep 13th 2006 11:38AM
Well, more accurately, the lesson here is, the next time you're thinking about setting up an elaborate online website that deals in HUGE quantities of trafficking illegal software . . . probably not a good idea.
RobertSep 13th 2006 9:37AM
Anybody know what company/website names he was using?? We bought some M$Office and Adobe stuff off of what I considered a "questionable" site a couple of years ago... yikes!
RobertSep 13th 2006 9:39AM
^^^ followup - I know the story talks about iBackups.net, but wondered if there were any more??
JnettySep 13th 2006 12:02PM
$200 a month to pay 5.4 million... Even if he pays for the next 50 years he would only have paid 120,000.
ScottSep 16th 2006 6:00PM
Yeah, he'd need to pay something more like $9000/month to clear the debt in the next 50 years.
Nature of MathematicsSep 29th 2006 3:32AM
Can I get that same payment plan on my mortgage? Geez.
Anyway, good to see the prison time, and maybe the confiscations go toward his $5.4 million. What a loser.