Digital Millennium Copyright Act Cases (DMCA)

Charged under 17 U.S.C. § 1201 et seq.

• U.S. v. McWaine (E.D. Cal.) (plead guilty to computer fraud)
  • Former Antelope, California Man Pleaded Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Microsoft Software (February 14, 2006)
• U.S. v. Fish (Patel, Veyna, Lovell) (N.D. Cal.) (Operation Site Down; Operation Copycat)
  • First "Operation Site Down" Indictment Charges Four Defendants with Copyright Violations Following Undercover "Warez" Investigation: Charges Include Conspiracy and Violations Under The NET Act and The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (July 14, 2005)
• U.S. v. Buchholz (N.D. Cal.)
  • New York Man Pleads Guilty to Reprogramming & Selling Thousands of Satellite TV "Smart Cards" (June 10, 2005)
• U.S. v. Amin (Patel and Walker) (D. Md.)
  • Local Commercial X-BOX Retailers Plead Guilty to Copyright Felonies (May 31, 2005)
• U.S. v. Winigman (N.D. Ohio) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Ohio Man Convicted on Charges of Producing Counterfeit U.S. Currency and Illegally Modifying or "hacking" Direct TV Access Cards (April 26, 2004)
• U.S. v. Tolleson (M.D. Tenn.) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Smyrna Businessman and Employees Sentenced in Satellite Television Piracy Case (October 8, 2003)
  • Smyrna Businessman Pleads Guilty in Satellite Piracy Case (February 20, 2003)
• U.S. v. Whitehead (C.D. Cal.) (Operation DeCrypt; First DMCA Jury Trial Conviction)
  • Federal Jury Convicts Smart-Card Hacker for Violating Digital Millennium Copyright Act (September 22, 2003)
  • Operation Decrypt Leads to Charges Against 17 For Developing Technology Used to Steal Millions of Dollars Worth of Satellite TV: Six Defendants Charged Under Digital Millennium Copyright Act (February 11, 2003)
• U.S. v. Sockloskie (N.D. Ohio) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Concord Man Sentenced for Manufacturing, Selling, and Distributing Satellite Television Access Devices (May 30, 2003)
  • Concord, Ohio Man Charged with Manufacturing, Selling, and Distributing Satellite Television Access Devices (February 4, 2003)

• U.S. v. Rocci (E.D. Va.) (Modification Chips)
  • Justice Department Seizes Top Internet Site Involved in Copyright Piracy (February 26, 2003)
  • Sentence: 10 months incarceration; 28 K fine/restitution
• U.S. v. Mynaf (E.D. Cal.) (also sentenced for copyright violations)
  • First Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Criminal Sentencing in California Involving More than 4,500 Bootlegged Video Tapes: Three Others Have Recently Been Convicted for Aiding and Abetting the DMCA violation (February 13, 2003)
  • Criminal Copyright Charges Involving More Than 4,500 Bootlegged Video Tapes: First Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Criminal Conviction in California and Second Known DMCA Conviction in the Country (March 28, 2002)
  • Vacaville, California Man Indicted On Criminal Copyright Charges Involving More Than 4,500 Bootlegged Video Tapes (February 7, 2002)
• U.S. v. Walter (C.D. Cal.) (Satellite TV Cards; Operation Decrypt)
  • Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty To Manufacturing And Selling Satellite Television Access Devices; He Acknowledges Nearly $15 Million Loss To Dish Network (December 18, 2002)
  • Operation Decrypt Leads to Charges Against 17 For Developing Technology Used to Steal Millions of Dollars Worth of Satellite TV: Six Defendants Charged Under Digital Millennium Copyright Act (February 11, 2003)
• U.S. v. Lewis (M.D. Tenn.) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Longest Sentence for Satellite Television Piracy Affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (July 11, 2002)
• U.S. v. Sklyarov (N.D. Cal.) (First DMCA Case)
  • Russian National Enters into Agreement with the United States on First Digital Millennium Copyright Act Case (December 13, 2001)
  • First Indictment Under Digital Millennium Copyright Act Returned Against Russian National, Company, in San Jose, California (August 28, 2001)
  • Russian Man Charged in California under Digital Millennium Copyright Act with Circumventing Adobe eBook Reader (July 17, 2001)
• U.S. v. Butler (N.D. Ohio) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Man Pleads Guilty to Selling and Distributing Illegal Satellite TV Cards (October 1, 2001)
  • Man Indicted for Selling and Distributing Illegal Satellite TV Cards (August 7, 2001)
  • Sentence: 36 months probation; 120K fine/restitution/
• U.S. v. Gray (Randolph) (C.D. Ill.) (Satellite TV Cards; Operation Smartcard.net)
  • Rantoul Men Guilty in Satellite T.V. Sting (June 14, 2001)
• U.S. v. Rivera (D.N.J.) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Bergenfield Man Admits Selling Pirated Satellite TV Access Cards (April 3, 2001)
  • Sentence: 60 months probation; 11K fine/restitution U.S. v. Hawkins (N.D. Ohio) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Former Police Lieutenant Sentenced for Distributing and Selling Satellite TV Interception Devices (February 23, 2001)
  • Police Lieutenant Charged With Selling and Distributing Satellite TV Interception Devices (October 18, 2000)
• U.S. v. Kennedy (D.R.I.) (Satellite TV Cards; Operation Smartcard.net)
  • Cranston Man is Sentenced to Fourteen Months in Prison for Selling Illegal Satellite Television Devices: Thomas Kennedy was caught in Operation Smartcard.net, a nationwide "sting" set up by the Customs Service (February 15, 2001)
• U.S. v. Flick (N.D. Ohio) (Satellite TV Cards)
  • Ohio Man Sentenced on Conviction of Illegally Distributing Satellite Television Access Cards (November 16, 2000)
  • Ohio Man Charged with Illegally Distributing Satellite Television Access Cards (August 18, 2000)
• U.S. v. Poulsen et al. (many districts) (Satellite TV Cards; Operation Smartcard.net)
  • Undercover Customs Operation Results in Charges and Pleas in Connection with Stolen Satellite Television (August 8, 2000)