The United States government and the recording industry have recently cracked down on Internet piracy and copyright infringements, so if you find yourself facing piracy charges, contact a Virginia federal online piracy lawyer as soon as possible to begin planning your defense.
Obtaining the counsel of a federal cyber crime defense lawyer in Virginia is not an indication of a person’s guilt or innocence, but it can make a big difference when facing allegations of intellectual property theft. The recording industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that wants to maintain a tight grasp on revenue from the continuous play and sharing of music and music files. The government is also interested in maintaining the intellectual property rights of the artists. If you are being charged in a case of online piracy, remember that you will most likely be going up against either a well-funded music industry lawyer or a federal prosecutor.
If you are interested to learn more about your legal options, contact our law offices and speak with one of our Virginia federal online piracy defense attorneys today.
Copyright Violations and the Internet
There are many ways to inadvertently violate copyright law. You may not even know that you are breaking the law. Some activities that many may consider harmless—or at least victimless—can lead to lengthy and expensive court cases, which can become more difficult if you are not represented by an experienced federal online piracy lawyer.
An example of such an activity, which many people do every day without understanding the legality of the situation, is sharing files on a file-sharing network, even if you have legally purchased the files. Copyright laws may prohibit this kind of activity.
Sometimes these transactions may occur when you unknowingly belong to a pay-for-play or download file-sharing site. You may believe that you are acting in a legal way, especially since you are paying money for the downloads, but it may turn out that you were purchasing music from an illegal file-sharing site. A Virginia federal online piracy lawyer can help you understand the law and your rights while planning your defense.
Possible Penalties
Many companies, and even the United States government, are taking intellectual property rights very seriously. It is possible to incur penalties of up to five years in prison or $250,000 in fines, even on your first conviction for online piracy. Proof of personal profit is not essential to render a guilty verdict, and any unauthorized use of copyrighted material can be the subject of a case.
Copyright laws imply that the owners have the sole right to copy the material under very restrictive guidelines. Penalties can begin at $750 per song (or file) that is unlawfully downloaded and can escalate very quickly. Having an experienced Virginia federal online piracy lawyer can help you plan a defense with the goal of avoiding some of the harsher punishments that can come with this kind of activity.
What Your Attorney Can Do
If you should find yourself in need of a Virginia federal online piracy lawyer, please remember: the law that protects the artists can also work for you. Your attorney may be able to help you avoid the harsh punishments associated with online piracy. Call our law offices today and conduct your free initial consultation to find out how we can help.
