Houston, Texas, Attorneys - Internet Copyright Infringement
If you have a computer and Internet access, you can download your favorite music, movies or software with ease, any time you like. Unfortunately, people do not always understand copyright law and may inadvertently infringe upon others' proprietary rights.
If the FBI or a representative of the Justice Department contacts you and starts asking questions about filing sharing, please do not tell them anything. Give an experienced criminal defense attorney at the law firm of Terry W. Yates & Associates a call at 713-861-3100.
Our attorneys have nearly 16 years of experience defending clients against Internet copyright infringement and other intellectual property charges. In our law firm, we believe that honesty wins. We will answer your questions in a free initial consultation and tell you what we honestly believe the next best steps should be.
Contact us as soon as federal agents drop by to "ask a few questions." They may be building a copyright violations case against you. Terry W. Yates & Associates want to protect your rights and defend you against Internet piracy law charges or copyright lawsuits.
The Controversy Surrounding "Torrenting"
A program such as BitTorrent or uTorrent is used to transfer large data files from one computer to another over large networked servers called trackers. No one is keeping track of the files sent and received by trackers, so there is huge potential for Internet copyright infringement. Under the strict rules of law, it is legal to possess a torrenting program, but not to use it for illegal file sharing.
If the government brings charges of Internet copyright infringement, it must prove "willfulness." The government must prove that you deliberately copied the files with the intent of using them yourself or sharing them with other users, without paying for them.
The government must also prove that the illegal music download and sharing occurred on your personal computer. If there is more than one person in your household, it is harder for the government to prove that it could only have been you personally. Someone else in your home may have surfed the Internet and downloaded or uploaded the files in violation of Internet copyright laws.
Recent Cases & Verdicts
Case Styled: United States of America v. Matthew Chow, Missouri City, Texas and Adil Cassim of California. Cause #H-09-609.
Criminal Charge: Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Copyright Infringement. Government claimed defendants were members of a group called RNS. The government and the Recording Industry Association of America both claimed that RNS was the largest internet pre-release music group in the country.
Verdict: Not Guilty.
Judge Keith Ellison. Federal Judge, Southern Judicial District of Texas.
Criminal Defense attorneys: Terry W. Yates & George Murphy
Assistant United States Attorneys: Tyler Newby, Washington D.C.; Jay Prabu, Eastern District of Virginia.
Contact Us for Skilled File Sharing Defense
If you have been charged with using counterfeit software, or Internet copyright Infringement, contact our Houston law office for a free, confidential consultation with a qualified copyright lawyer at Terry W. Yates & Associates.
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