$180 Million for Piracy Conspiracy

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..."

Comments

the europeean perspective..

[Anonymous Coward]

yet more evidence that the american justice system is not at all about justice but greed and revenge.... nowonder USA is so FU*KED UP..greed and power and comitting genocide is all anyone ever thinks about over there.. suing people for ridicilous amounts over estimates less substansial than fog.. or too hot coffe.. or the fat in a burger.. having absolutely NO privacy whatsoever and completely failing to arrange a fair truly democratic election.. USA has gone from admireable to downright disgusting in the last 5 years.. its a bloody shock!

Triggerhappy fu*ked up buch of idiots with a Hitler 2.0 as your president.. you should just float off to hell and leave the rest of us PEACE LOVING people alone to create a LIVEABLE environment..

ELSX

Re:punishment fitting the crime

[be-fan]

Dude. I'd hardly call $500 a month "financially crippling" somebody for life. Actually, its seems rather fair.