The conspiracy and copyright infringement charges in this case were brought under the No Electronic Theft Act, known as the NET Act, which was enacted in 1997 to facilitate prosecutions of Internet copyright piracy. The NET Act makes it illegal to reproduce or distribute copyrighted works, such as software programs and musical recordings, even if the defendant acts without a commercial purpose or for private financial gain. Mr. Lassar and Ms. McChesney said four software and movie industry groups provided assistance in identifying copyrighted material and in pricing pirated programs. Calif. The government is being represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes. The Justice Department's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section has provided assistance.
Restitution is mandatory.
The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.