Danny Ferrer, of Lakeland, Florida was sentenced on Friday to six years in prison and ordered to pay over 4.1 million dollars in restitution to software authors Adobe Systems Inc., Autodesk, and Macromedia Inc. for selling counterfeit software over the internet. Ferrer's website BuyUSA.com began selling software in 2002 and ran until October of 2005 when it was shut down by the FBI. According to John Wolfe of Business Software Alliance, the software looked legitimate to consumers, but was sold at incredibly discounted prices.
Profits from his sales bought Ferrer such niceties as several airplanes, a Lamborghini, a Hummer, and a fighter-jet simulator, all of which have been ordered to be sold to pay the restitution in the case. "You extended your hand into the pockets of these people," U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III said before sentencing Ferrer. "If severe penalties were not attached, people would line up from here to Los Angeles to do what you've done." Ferrer told judge Ellis that he began selling pirated software to pay for a feeding tube for his sick wife, but agreed that "there was probably a certain amount of greed."
Prosecutors estimated that Ferrer's illegal sales cost the software companies upwards of $20 million, but industry officials say the amount may actually be higher. "This is the ultimate case," prosecutor Jay V. Prabhu said in court. "This is a case where someone made a lot of money."
News source: Associated Press / The Times Tribune
Profits from his sales bought Ferrer such niceties as several airplanes, a Lamborghini, a Hummer, and a fighter-jet simulator, all of which have been ordered to be sold to pay the restitution in the case. "You extended your hand into the pockets of these people," U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III said before sentencing Ferrer. "If severe penalties were not attached, people would line up from here to Los Angeles to do what you've done." Ferrer told judge Ellis that he began selling pirated software to pay for a feeding tube for his sick wife, but agreed that "there was probably a certain amount of greed."
Prosecutors estimated that Ferrer's illegal sales cost the software companies upwards of $20 million, but industry officials say the amount may actually be higher. "This is the ultimate case," prosecutor Jay V. Prabhu said in court. "This is a case where someone made a lot of money."
News source: Associated Press / The Times Tribune
YA! only personal gain from piracy is right!
im joking, lol.
Yeah, really!
A lambo, airplanes... sheesh he must have made a lot.
Last edited by SquareSoftO on 25 Aug 2006 - 19:58
Not for piracy. Just that "owned" or "pwned" is getting really old. It was old a couple years ago actually
Not for piracy. Just that "owned" or "pwned" is getting really old. It was old a couple years ago actually
Oh stop being such an ol' stick in the mud.
Yeah, in his parents back yard.
No offense, but damn, you're such a ****ing troll.
yeah right.
Imagine how much these companies are making at full prices.
You should/must read/understand better...
"Prosecutors estimated that Ferrer's illegal sales cost the software companies upwards of $20 million, but industry officials say the amount may actually be higher."
Thats the cost of the software he sell, it doesnt what the has gained.
"and ordered to pay over 4.1 million dollars in restitution to software authors"
If he did $20M, $4.1M would be NOTHING.
Their prices are out of the range of most people.
They could sell a full version for 100 bux.
They rolled out acrobat for 50 bux when they first started, found it was really popular and then
humped up the prices.
I can't afford to purchase Adobe Photoshop, I would like to be able to, however current price
in my country is £503.99 that must be touching 800 bux.
I would not buy a pirated version though.
I started a thread here about 19 months ago and asked if the site mentioned buyusa.com was kosher
as when I googled for photoshop prices that came up.
Ohh well Adobe will never stop pirating of their products, they could stop some of it by offering
a fair price.
I know they offer photoshop elements, however people want to use all features.
Agreed. Hell, if you're satisfied with Elements you could be satisfied with GIMP or Paint.NET for that matter. People who buy Photoshop do so because (a) they have money to burn or (b) they need the hi-end print-industry features. CMYK, anyone?
Like its been said in many other cases where the company whines about how much they lost from piracy. It didn't cost them upwards of $20 million because they wouldn't have gotten it anyway. These people were buying it because it was much cheaper than the actual cost.
It's not like it's cash or gold bars.
It's bytes.
but this statement is true BS, adobe knows they would not make 20 mil by selling there software $900 a piece I love after effect but no way in hell I would pay 1k for the software... if after effect was under 200 bucks I would buy it in heart beat.
If he had just been putting that money away in an offshore bank account under a trusted friend or a family member's name then he would be ok, sure he would go to prison but when he's out he'll be rich.
I don't know how he would have to handle the $4.1M restitution since he wouldn't have enough to pay that.
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