Software bootlegger jailed for three years
A software bootlegger has been jailed for three years in Germany. We don't know his name - the BSA simply calls him "Mr M.,", its coyness attributable to legal reasons we infer, as investigations are continuing into other members of Mr M.'s gang.
Mr M., 42, was sentenced to three years jail without parole, after pleading guilty to offences under the German Copyright Act.
According to German police, Mr M. knocked out somewhere between 20,000-30,000 CD compilations, containing illegal copies of business software, music, films and games. He sold the bootleg through a network of dodgy dealers in Germany, Italy, Greece and
Switzerland.
And it sounds like he ran a tight ship, burning CDs to order and sending them by post to his customers.
Mr M. has been charged before with copyright infringements. This time around, he's been in jail for five months awaiting trial and sentence. His girlfriend got off more lightly, escaping with a fine of €2,700 for helping Mr M. in his business.
