Long Prison Term for Software Pirate Issued

“Modern-day pirates ought to expect modern-day penalties,” said U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg, who added that the sentence “sends a strong message to those who pilfer the intellectual property of others.” Danny Ferrer, former operator of BuyUSA.com, was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison, ordered to pay restitution of “more than $4.1 million and to forfeit a wide variety of luxury goods he bought with millions of dollars in proceeds.” What types of luxury items are we talking about here? Three airplanes; a helicopter; and numerous cars, including a 1992 Lamborghini, a 2005 Hummer and two 2005 Chevrolet Corvettes. Those items make it interesting that Ferrer’s attorney said “the scheme started because he couldn’t pay the medical bills from his wife’s long-term illness.” But she did say it was no excuse. Ferrer is just another case of the United State’s tough stance on the piracy of other people’s intellectual property, which is estimated to cost the United States nearly $7 billion last year.