Source: https://www.ussc.gov/guidelines/amendment/590
Timestamp: 2020-01-21 18:46:47
Document Index: 267207053

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 5', '§2', '§2', '§2', '§2', '§3', '§3']

590 | United States Sentencing Commission
Amendment: Chapter Two, Part B, Subpart 5 is amended by striking §2B5.3 in its entirety as follows:
1. ‘Infringing items’ means the items that violate the copyright or trademark laws (not the legitimate items that are infringed upon).
The Electronic Communications Act of 1986 prohibits the interception of satellite transmission for purposes of direct or indirect commercial advantage or private financial gain. Such violations are similar to copyright offenses and are therefore covered by this guideline.".
A replacement guideline with accompanying commentary is inserted as §2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark).
The amendment responds to the directives, first, by making changes to the monetary calculation found in the copyright and trademark infringement guideline, §2B5.3. In addition, the amendment makes a number of other modifications to the infringement guideline, including the addition of several mitigating and aggravating factors, as further means of providing just and proportionate punishment while also seeking to achieve sufficient deterrence.
This amendment also increases the base offense level from level 6 to level 8. The two-level increase in the base offense level brings the infringement guideline more in line with offense levels that would pertain under the fraud guideline, §2F1.1, assuming applicability under that guideline of the two-level enhancement for more than minimal planning. Based on a review of cases sentenced under the infringement guideline, if a more than minimal planning enhancement did exist in that guideline, it would apply in the vast majority of such cases because they involve this kind of aggravating conduct. Rather than provide a separate enhancement within the revised guideline for "more than minimal planning" conduct, the Commission determined that the infringement guideline should incorporate this type of conduct into the base offense level.
This amendment also provides a two-level downward adjustment (but not less than offense level 8) if the offense was not committed for commercial advantage or private financial gain. This adjustment reflects the fact that the Act establishes lower statutory penalties for offenses that were not committed for commercial advantage or private financial gain.
The amendment also contains an application note expressly providing that the adjustment in §3B1.3 (Abuse of Position of Trust or Use of Special Skill) will apply if the defendant de-encrypted or otherwise circumvented a technological security measure to gain initial access to an infringed item. As stated in the background commentary to §3B1.3, persons who use such a special skill to facilitate or commit a crime generally are viewed as more culpable.
Effective Date: The effective date of this amendment is May 1, 2000.