U.S. Department Of Justice makes its first ever conviction against mobile app pirates

[Himanshu Arora]

The U.S. Department Of Justice has convicted two men for illegally distributing copyrighted Android apps. Accused Nicholas Anthony Narbone, 26, and "co-conspirator" Thomas Allen Dye, 21, ran Appbucket.net and according to the authorities illegally distributed more than 1 million copies of counterfeit Android apps, totaling more than $700,000 in value.

The DoJ on Monday announced that both Narbone and Dye have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement. This is the first time that the government has secured convictions against counterfeit mobile app distributors.

According to the DoJ, the website was active for a couple of years before being seized by U.S. law enforcement agencies in 2012. At that time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a sting operation by downloading thousands of copyrighted apps from the site. Both Narbone and Dye face a five-year maximum prison sentence, they are scheduled to be sentenced on July 8th and June 12th respectively.

Apart from Appbucket, other popular Android piracy websites like Snappzmarket and Applanet were also seized by law enforcement agencies in 2012. Snappzmarket in particular is claimed to have facilitated 1 million illegal downloads worth a total of $1.7 million. The case against Kody Peterson, the brain behind Snappzmarket, remains ongoing.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/56122-us-department-of-justice-makes-its-first-ever-conviction-against-mobile-app-pirates.html

 

[wastedkill]

5 years sentance are you serious and $1.7mill worth of damages... sorry but this is pathetic ITS MOBILE APPS!!!! They are pretty useless at the moment plus you could rape/murder someone and get less time!!!! The justice system is pathetic plus how many people actually use illegal apps for mobile.. I have never heard of anyone using them except for maybe 1 app which is flappy birds... This is beyond a joke.

I could understand if it was like pirate bay for software but its mobile apps for f sake...

 

[GhostRyder]

Pirating apps...Really guys, was the whole 99 Cents just to much to bear so you had to make a pirating site...

Such Rebels...

5 years sentance are you serious and $1.7mill worth of damages... sorry but this is pathetic ITS MOBILE APPS!!!! They are pretty useless at the moment plus you could rape/murder someone and get less time!!!! The justice system is pathetic plus how many people actually use illegal apps for mobile.. I have never heard of anyone using them except for maybe 1 app which is flappy birds... This is beyond a joke.

I could understand if it was like pirate bay for software but its mobile apps for f sake...

I agree, yet I still stand by saying that its just a 99 Cent App (Well there maybe some extreme cases of course but w/e). Why we need pirating sites for that is beyond me...

 

[wastedkill]

Pirating apps...Really guys, was the whole 99 Cents just to much to bear so you had to make a pirating site...

Such Rebels...

Makes you realize why real criminals are out walking the streets instead of serving time its because of the justice system has its priorities straight.....

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

5 years sentance are you serious and $1.7mill worth of damages... sorry but this is pathetic ITS MOBILE APPS!!!! They are pretty useless at the moment plus you could rape/murder someone and get less time!!!! The justice system is pathetic plus how many people actually use illegal apps for mobile.. I have never heard of anyone using them except for maybe 1 app which is flappy birds... This is beyond a joke.

I could understand if it was like pirate bay for software but its mobile apps for f sake...

Well... for starters mobile apps are still a huge business and secondly, hardly anyone serves the maximum prison sentence for a crime. The 5 years is just what is legally possible, they haven't been sentenced yet. The judge could decide that 2 days of community service and a fine of $50 is enough. They only have severe penalties so that severe offenders don't get off easy. They won't get anywhere near the maximum penalty.

 

[GhostRyder]

Makes you realize why real criminals are out walking the streets instead of serving time its because of the justice system has its priorities straight.....

Indeed, though I sympathize in the regard that it is 'illegal' and they shouldn't do it. But at the same time the priorities seem to at times get out of place and certain things get hit first. Sometimes while things that are obviously much worse than pirating apps, it can also come down to the fact that it was just an easier catch. I mean an app pirate site running out of the U.S. is very easily caught in all honesty even with the right precautions and the fact these guys were 26 and 21 just escalates that further.

Its just a foolish ordeal in general all to save 99 cents on apps (Maybe 5 bucks in some cases) made by private people working out of their home or such which in my idea is pretty pathetic.

 

[wastedkill]

Well... for starters mobile apps are still a huge business and secondly, hardly anyone serves the maximum prison sentence for a crime. The 5 years is just what is legally possible, they haven't been sentenced yet. The judge could decide that 2 days of community service and a fine of $50 is enough. They only have severe penalties so that severe offenders don't get off easy. They won't get anywhere near the maximum penalty.

Trust me the justice system is corrupt they will get the maximum penalty... pirates these days get harsher sentances than a serial killer... Soon I will be able to behead someone in the streets and a cop will walk by not even battering a eyelid because he is on his way to bust a 12yr old for downloading the latest batman film...

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Well... for starters mobile apps are still a huge business and secondly, hardly anyone serves the maximum prison sentence for a crime. The 5 years is just what is legally possible, they haven't been sentenced yet. The judge could decide that 2 days of community service and a fine of $50 is enough. They only have severe penalties so that severe offenders don't get off easy. They won't get anywhere near the maximum penalty.

Trust me the justice system is corrupt they will get the maximum penalty... pirates these days get harsher sentances than a serial killer... Soon I will be able to behead someone in the streets and a cop will walk by not even battering a eyelid because he is on his way to bust a 12yr old for downloading the latest batman film...

Actually, the vast majority of pirates never get prosecuted at all. How many people downloaded Game of Thrones from pirate bay? What percentage of them are in jail?

 

[wastedkill]

Actually, the vast majority of pirates never get prosecuted at all. How many people downloaded Game of Thrones from pirate bay? What percentage of them are in jail?

Out of the 2.4billion downloader only a few hundred thousand get prosecuted but still it makes you wonder why instead of catching murders/rapists the police/justice system is wasting tax payers money catching people who aren't doing any damage at all...

Makes you wonder why the justice system doesnt realize that people arent billionaires and cant afford those 10,000 CD's for them music they like or for everysingle film they want. I download everything because I am jobless.... not because I am a millionaire which im not unlike what the lawyers and justice system think I am.

 

[treetops]

I dled plants vs zombies 2 for droid, they only released it for apple but some smart guy hacked it for droid, so I grabbed it, I dont have anything apple. The game is free, so who cares?

p.s. its free in the app store and now avail n free across all platforms

 

[wastedkill]

I dled plants vs zombies 2 for droid, they only released it for apple but some smart guy hacked it for droid, so I grabbed it, I dont have anything apple. The game is free, so who cares?

The justice system who care more about downloaders than murderers.

 

[Guest]

I dled plants vs zombies 2 for droid, they only released it for apple but some smart guy hacked it for droid, so I grabbed it, I dont have anything apple. The game is free, so who cares?

Gotta e careful. Might get that one judge that puts sentences you to prison for it. Wouldn't want to get shanked because you downloaded a game

 

[wastedkill]

Gotta e careful. Might get that one judge that puts sentences you to prison for it. Wouldn't want to get shanked because you downloaded a game

its all because the justice system cba to catch real criminals.

 

[m3tavision]

Actually, the vast majority of pirates never get prosecuted at all. How many people downloaded Game of Thrones from pirate bay? What percentage of them are in jail?

Out of the 2.4billion downloader only a few hundred thousand get prosecuted but still it makes you wonder why instead of catching murders/rapists the police/justice system is wasting tax payers money catching people who aren't doing any damage at all...

Makes you wonder why the justice system doesnt realize that people arent billionaires and cant afford those 10,000 CD's for them music they like or for everysingle film they want. I download everything because I am jobless.... not because I am a millionaire which im not unlike what the lawyers and justice system think I am.

Not sure if you have a grasp on things^.

People are stealing these Apps, it is the duty of the Justice Department to go after those who are DISTRIBUTING that stolen software. (and/or those stealing)


Secondly, NOBODY cares about the fact you are disgruntled, or hate people who have a job. Part of owning a 10,000 CD collection, is amassing it over the 25+ years it takes to collect it. You don't have to be a Millionaire to own a CD collection, you just have to have the WILL.

Lastly, they didn't go after a couple hundred thousand of people...LOL (that's 200,000). Why do u keep making stuff up..? Do you understand, that Justice can be served on all fronts, not just one at a time? (Meaning they can go after thieves & murderers at the same time.)