The U.S. government has taken bold measures to crack down on the distribution of counterfeit apps. Illegally distributing counterfeit apps is clearly copyright infringement. On Monday, March 24, the two men responsible for AppBucket pled guilty to conspiracy to commit copyright infringement. AppBucket was a popular website that sold counterfeit Android apps at low prices. From 2010 to 2012, AppBucket distributed over $700,000 worth of counterfeit apps.
“These men trampled on the intellectual property rights of others when they and other members of the Appbucket group distributed more than one million copies of pirated apps,” said the Acting Assistant Attorney General. “The Criminal Division has made fighting intellectual property crime a top priority, and these convictions demonstrate our determination to prosecute those who undermine the innovations of others in new technologies.”
The recent crackdown on counterfeit apps follows the publishing of a recent study conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) on the economic costs of using pirated software. According to the study, globally consumers spend a total of $25 billion and businesses spend $500 billion dealing with complications related to pirated software. Due to the staggering cost, “[t]he wholesale theft of intellectual property…cannot and will not go unaddressed,” said a representative of the FBI.
I Need An Intellectual Property Lawyer In Los Angeles
If another organization or individual is distributing your copyrighted material without your permission, you deserve to be represented by an aggressive business litigation attorney. Intellectual property lawyer Robert G. Klein has taken over 70 cases to trial before the California courts, federal courts and even the U.S. Supreme Court. To schedule a consultation with one of our Los Angeles copyright infringement lawyers, contact us today at (323) 653-3900 ext. 110.
[Did You Know: According to the NUS study, globally, consumers waste 1.2 billion hours fixing problems from pirated software.]
Klein Trial Lawyers—Los Angeles business litigation lawyers
Source: www.cnet.com, www.cnet.com