Software Industry Announcements and News
Brothers Sentenced for Selling More than $6 Million in Pirated Software
[ No Comments ] Posted on 03.10.08 under Government News
WASHINGTON - Two brothers were sentenced today in federal court to 30 months and three years in prison for selling massive amounts of pirated computer software, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Chuck Rosenberg announced today.
At the federal court in Alexandria, Va., U.S. District Court Judge Claude M. Hilton sentenced Maurice A. Robberson, 48, to three years in prison and ordered him to pay $855,917 in restitution while his brother Thomas K. Robberson, 55, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $151,488 in restitution. On Nov. 7, 2007, Maurice Robberson pled guilty to conspiracy and felony copyright infringement, while his brother Thomas Robberson pled guilty to a single count of felony copyright infringement. Read the rest of this entry…
Judgment Entered Against Spyware Scammer
[ No Comments ] Posted on 03.10.08 under Government News
Trojan Program Downloaded Spyware, Adware, Porno Pop-Ups to Consumers’ Computers
A federal judge has granted the Federal Trade Commission’s request for a default judgment against a software developer who helped scammers infect millions of computers with destructive and intrusive spyware. The judgment bars the defendant from distributing software that interferes with consumers’ computers and requires that he give up his ill-gotten gains.
In November 2006, the FTC charged ERG Ventures, LLC, its principals, and their affiliate, Timothy P. Taylor, with tricking consumers into downloading malicious software by hiding it within seemingly innocuous free programs, including screensavers and video files. Once downloaded, the malware silently activated itself and installed programs that changed consumers’ home pages, tracked their Internet activity, altered browser settings, degraded computer performance, and disabled anti-spyware and anti-virus software. Many of the malware programs installed by the defendants were extremely difficult or impossible for consumers to remove from their computers. Read the rest of this entry…
FBI: St. Valentine’s Day E-Card Carries Storm Worm Virus
[ No Comments ] Posted on 02.12.08 under Government News
If you unexpectedly receive a Valentine’s Day e-card, be careful. It may not be from a secret admirer, but instead might contain the Storm Worm virus. Read the rest of this entry…
Judge Agrees with FTC, Orders Spammers to Pay More Than $2.5 Million and Stop Selling Bogus Weight-Loss and Anti-Aging Products
[ No Comments ] Posted on 02.04.08 under Government News
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal judge has ordered Sili Neutraceuticals, LLC and Brian McDaid to pay more than $2.5 million for making false advertising claims and sending illegal e-mail messages in violation of the FTC Act and the CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act).
Online Advertiser Settles FTC Charges. “Free” Products Weren’t Free
[ No Comments ] Posted on 01.30.08 under Government News
Settlement Calls for $200,000 Civil Penalty
An online advertiser that drove traffic to its Web sites using spam e-mails with misleading subject lines has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it failed to disclose that consumers have to spend money to receive the so-called “free” items it touts. The settlement, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC, requires the defendants to disclose the costs and obligations to qualify for the advertised products or services, and bars them from sending e-mail that violates the CAN-SPAM Act. The settlement also requires that the company pay $200,000 in civil penalties.
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Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to Host Workshop on International Technical Assistance
[ No Comments ] Posted on 01.29.08 under Government News
One-Day Public Event Scheduled for February 6, 2008, in Washington, DC
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today announced that they will host a joint workshop entitled, “2008 International Technical Assistance Workshop: Charting the Future Course of International Technical Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.”
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