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U.S. Toughens Sentences for Uploaders of Pre-Release Copyrighted Works

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 21, 2005 - 8:21am.
Washington - The U.S. Sentencing Commission this week increased penalties for those offering pre-release copies of albums, movies and other content on the Internet, including on file-sharing networks, as part of an emergency set of rules passed to bring sentences in line with those laid out by the recently passed Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, CNET News.com reported. The prison sentences for those convicted of offering works before their commercial releases will be increased roughly 40%, while judges will be given new discretion to "estimate" how many files a defendant is offering in determining an appropriate sentence. Under the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, anyone offering a pre-release work, regardless of whether or not it is downloaded by any third parties, will face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,0000.
tags: U.S | Pre-release | Toughens | Uploaders | Copyrighted Works |