Extradited to US for Copyright Violations

An Australian man has been extradited to the US  to face sentencing for copyright infringement.  Hew Griffiths, a ringleader in an undergound software piracy network, was a resident of Australia who never set foot in the US to commit copyright infringement.  Nevertheless, the US doggedly pursued extradition against Griffiths.  Earlier this year he admitted to his role in an international ring engaged in the illegal reproduction and distribution of more than $50 million worth of pirated software, movies, games and music.  Griffiths is not alleged to have personally profited from the copyright infringement. 

This case is one of the first ever extraditions for an intellectual property offense and represents a growing aggressiveness on the part of software publishers to defend against international piracy.  Sentencing is scheduled for later in June, 2007 and Griffiths faces a possible 10-year jail term.

 

Calgary  – 12:45 MST

 

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  1. […] Australian software hacker Hew Griffiths was sentenced last week to over 4 years in prison on one count of “conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement” ending his long-running battle to avoid extradition and sentencing in the US. This is on top of the nearly three years he spent incarcerated at a detention center in Australia while fighting the US extradition bid. […]

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