Operation Fastlink snared its first criminal conviction yesterday, a University of Iowa computer science student. Go Hawkeyes! (I have a lot of family in Iowa.)
The Iowa City paper reported:
“The people of Iowa and of the United States are better off when the market works and individuals are not illegally copying and using stolen software,” Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, said in a written statement. “We all pay for these crimes in increased license fees and inconvenient license terms.”
It sounds like the prosecutor had his Wheaties today! Remember, what’s good for Microsoft is good for America.
The student was represented by the federal public defender in Des Moines. My colleagues in criminal law should start adding IP crimes to the first year curriculum.