Originally Posted by scveteran
You really need to read some more and educate yourself on the subject. Many times the cases are handled in civil courts. This is because the owner of the copyright doesn't really benefit from you going to jail. However, the act is illegal and does carry criminal penalties.
The maximum penality for a first time offense is a fine of $500,000 dollars and 5 years imprisonment.
If you can go to jail for it, it certainly is a criminal matter and not just civil.
I will say again, most of the time, this can and will be handled in the civil courts. That does not mean that it is not a crime and that you can't go to jail for it.
|