How do I report piracy?

Can I report someone for piracy?

You can also report any of these types of piracy by calling our IP Protection Hotline at (800) 388-7478. Why does the copyright law make copying software illegal?

Who to contact about piracy?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates criminal counterfeiting, piracy, and other federal crimes.

Who investigates piracy?

Intellectual Property Theft/Piracy

The FBI's intellectual property investigations focus on the theft of trade secrets and copyright infringement on products that can impact people's health and safety, like counterfeit parts for cars and electronics.

What legal action can you take for piracy?

Under U.S. law, infringement may result in civil damages of up to $150,000 and/or criminal penalties of up to five years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.

My Thoughts on Piracy

Do people still get sued for piracy?

Making unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings is against the law and may subject you to civil and criminal liability. A civil lawsuit could hold you responsible for thousands of dollars in damages.

Is piracy a felony?

Whether you're being accused of illegally downloading a song or movie or using an unlicensed copy of Photoshop, a piracy charge is nothing to make light of. In fact, piracy is a federal crime. These felony charges can land you in prison for a year or longer, depending upon the circumstances of your individual case.

Can you really go to jail for piracy?

What Are the Penalties for Piracy? Piracy is punished quite severely under U.S.C. 81. Most overt acts of piracy come with a mandatory minimum of life imprisonment, while most others carry a maximum of 10 years in prison—not to mention hefty fines in many cases.

Is piracy a federal crime?

Any piracy and privateering could result in federal criminal charges with severe penalties. These types of federal offenses are often complicated because both United States and international laws could be filed based on the case's specific details.

Does piracy count as theft?

Copying software or digital content without permission of the content creator is stealing.

What can government do about piracy?

Governments can respond to piracy by introducing well-known and well-enforced legal penalties against individual pirates, by taking action to shut down or otherwise block Internet access to prominent pirate sites.

What type of crime is piracy?

Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, vessels used for piracy are pirate ships.

How do I report IP theft?

The IPR Center encourages victims to visit its website at www.IPRCenter.gov to obtain more information about the IPR Center and to report violations of intellectual property rights online or by emailing [email protected]. You can also report IP crime by clicking on The IRP Center's “Report IP Theft” button.

What is the US punishment for piracy?

§1651.

Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.

What makes piracy illegal?

Because a software pirate does not have proper permission from the software owner to take or use the software in question, piracy is the equivalent of theft and is, therefore, a crime.

What happens if I get caught pirating?

Copyright infringement in America can be punished either through civil lawsuits (where copyright holders file lawsuits directly against the downloader) or through criminal laws (where individuals involved in illegal file sharing can face fines and jail terms).

What is illegal to watch on the Internet?

Anything that is illegal offline is also illegal on the internet, including fraud, theft, gambling, drug trafficking, prostitution, and child pornography.

What is the punishment for Torrenting?

If you're torrenting illegally, your ISP will send you a warning letter and probably start throttling your connection speeds. If you're caught repeatedly and found guilty in legal proceedings, you could be subject to criminal penalties including a $250,000 fine and up to five years in prison.

How does the FBI track illegal downloads?

If the FBI wanted to know which IP addresses logged into a site, or downloaded something from a site, they can subpoena (or get a warrant) to see the logs from that site and trace back the IP address to you.

How big of a crime is piracy?

Keep in mind that most piracy cases are civil and not criminal. Yet when someone attempts to distribute or sell copyrighted material, they will very likely face criminal felony charges. It is important to remember that the statute of limitations for civil charges is only three years.

How much can you get sued for Torrenting?

Statutory damages. If you are sued in a civil lawsuit, you may have to pay $750-30,000 per illegal download. If you violated the law “willfully,” then you may have to pay up to $150,000 per download.

Who does piracy hurts?

One must also remember that piracy is theft at the end of the day, and it isn't just big industries and companies suffering from this threat. Content creators also lose money and suffer from negative impacts to their platform, which can discourage further creation.

Who investigates IP theft?

National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) The IPR Center uses the expertise of its 25-member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions, and conduct investigations related to IP theft and trade law violations.

How much does IP theft cost?

Intellectual property theft costs the US between $225 billion and $600 billion annually.

What happens if your IP is reported?

They could impersonate you, steal your information, locate your home address, or send you spam or malware. The easiest way to avoid this is by changing your IP address with a VPN. Get CyberGhost VPN and rest easy knowing no one can discover your real IP address or track you down with it.