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$180 Million for Piracy Conspiracy

Posted by michael on from the arrrr-matie dept.

theCoder writes "According to an AP story printed in the Orlando Sentinel, Steven R. Frazier has been ordered to pay $180 million restitution for attempting to sell a device that would decrypt the satellite signals sent into everyone's homes. In addition to spending the next 5 years in Federal prison, Frazier will have to pay $500 a month for the next 30,000 years, though no one really expects him to live long enough to make all the payments. That value is based on estimated loses DirectTV and Echostar may have incurred had Frazier been able to sell his devices. Being ordered to pay restitution for actual damages is one thing, but paying for some made up number of future damages? Maybe if I catch someone trying to break into my car, I can sue him for the damage he would have caused if he succeeded..."

5 of 734 comments (clear)

  1. IN SOVIET RUSSIA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    IN SOVIET RUSSIA you fuck DirectTV!

  2. Re:punishment fitting the crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    There is something severely wrong about financially crippling somebody for life
    Crippling? It's $500 a month. Chump change. Maybe this'll make people think before they steal IP in future.
  3. Re:too harsh by sribe · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Hey dipshits, look up the word "conspiracy" in a dictionary!

    they don't put people to death for attempted murder, do they? that seems a little harsh to me.

    Why no they don't. But, dipshit, they do give them some serious punishment--sometimes more than 5 years in prison. Geez who are all you people who try to relate $500/month to the death penalty???

    When I was a kid you actually had to commit a crime before arrest, trial and conviction.

    Conspiracy to commit [insert felony here] is itself a crime, dipshit.

    ...I can go ahead and start shooting people based on the fact that it would be self defense if they had carried through with their attempted plans of attacking me...

    Well, no, not quite. But if you had credible evidence (the voices in your head don't count) of an actual conspiracy to murder you, then you could get law enforcement involved and ultimately the conspirators would wind up in prison. Dipshit.

  4. Unbelievable by theolein · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    No wonder the commies were so popular.

  5. Re:too harsh - MOD PARENT DOWN! by mumblestheclown · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    I can't believe this crap gets modded as "insightful."

    By equivalent logic, white collar criminals who are caught should be punished by only having to repay what they stole.

    does the idea of DISINCENTIVE TO COMMIT ILLEGAL ACTS have any meaning to you whatsoever? Ridiculous precedent my ass. $500/mo sounds LIGHT.


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