U.S. Department of Justice - CyberCrime.gov Archived

Copyright Cases - U.S. v. Singh (E.D. Va.)


January 7, 2005

Department Of Justice
Eastern District of Virginia
United States Attorney
2100 Jamieson Avenue
(703)299-3700
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
For further information contact:Sam Dibbley 703-842-4050

Lanham, Maryland Man Sentenced to 18 Months Incarceration for Operating a Pay-for-Access WebsiteOffering Pirated Copies of Business Software

Paul J. McNulty, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today that Kishan Singh, 33 of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced by the Honorable T.S. Ellis, III, United States District Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, for distributing pirated software over the Internet in violation of federal criminal copyright infringement laws. Kishan Singh previously pled guilty to a single count Information on October 14, 2004, charging him with infringement of a copyright. Judge Ellis sentenced Singh to 18 months incarceration. Judge Ellis also ordered the computer equipment used in the crime to be forfeited.

Kishan Singh operated a pay-for-access website through which he offered pirated copies of business software which had been altered by the removal of copyright protection devices. Among the titles available were programs produced by Adobe, Autodesk, Macromedia, and Microsoft. Evidence revealed that thousands of pirated software programs were downloaded from Singh's website by users from around the world during the six-month period charged. As part of the plea agreement, the United States and Singh agreed that Singh illegally reproduced and distributed copyrighted software valued at between $70,000 and $120,000.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office. Bob Wiechering, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Clement J. McGovern, Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.


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