Two Men Officially Convicted in Largest Copyright Piracy Case in U.S. History.
Ye Teng Wen and Hao He, both 30 years old and residing in Union City, California, were found guilty on five counts related to copyright theft and the illegal duplication of over 200,000 pirated CDs, primarily featuring Latin music.
Ye and Hao, along with a third individual, Yaobin Zhai, 33 years old, were arrested last October. In addition to music CDs, these three were involved in “producing” and distributing counterfeit copies of Symantec’s computer security software and Adobe Systems’ Photoshop program.
According to police, this is the largest CD piracy operation ever uncovered in the United States. “The money that these copyright thieves could make may reach hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” an investigator stated.
The authorities reported seizing nearly 500,000 illegal CDs and 5,500 counterfeit product certification stickers. Many CDs were even labeled with anti-piracy tags from the FBI itself.
Each charge against Ye and Hao — including copyright infringement, trademark violation, and trafficking in counterfeit goods — carries a maximum sentence of five years. However, the specific sentences that the two will face have not yet been disclosed. Zhai is scheduled to appear in court next May.
The recording industry has continually claimed that rampant piracy has led to sluggish CD sales over the past few years. According to data provided by the Recording Industry Association of America, revenue for the entire U.S. music market fell by 0.6% in 2005, totaling $12.27 billion.
Tian Yi
