Intellectual Property Law

A U.S. judge sentenced two brothers to prison Friday for selling over the Internet "massive amounts" of counterfeited software from Adobe Systems, Autodesk and Macromedia.

U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton, of Virginia, sentenced Maurice Robberson, 48, to three years in prison and his 55-year-old brother, Thomas, to 30 months of confinement. Both pleaded guilty last year to criminal copyright infringement charges.

They acknowledged selling counterfeited software on their sites named bestvalueshoppe, thedealdepot, cdsalesusa and americansoftwaresales. The pair agreed to forfeit millions in proceeds and pay a combined $1 million restitution.

"People who steal the intellectual property of others for their personal financial gain, while defrauding consumers who think they are buying legitimate products, will be punished for their crimes, as today?s sentences prove," Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher said.

The FBI uncovered the scam after the copyright holders complained to the government. The brothers and others involved manufactured the counterfeited software, which looked real and included the affected companies' trademarks and service marks, the government said.

Two others in the conspiracy have already been sentenced.  Danny Ferrer, 39, got six years of prison Alton Lee Grooms, 56, was handed one year and cooperated with the government?s investigation.

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