A Michigan man was arrested for the internet crime of piracy for his alleged participation in a scheme to illegally stream sporting events. The arrest was just three days prior to Super Bowl XLVI. Football was not the only illegally transmitted sporting event this man was accused of stealing; other pay-per-view sporting events and telecasts from major sports networks were included in charges.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the U.S. Southern District of New York prosecutor claim that the Michigan man took thousands of dollars from online merchants for advertising on several websites. This type of internet crime includes illegal streaming of sporting events over website gateways or linking sites that lead viewers to other third-party websites. Those third-party websites were the sites that actually were hosting the pirated sporting events.

It is possible that the man arrested for these crimes was unaware that his participation by maintaining 16 websites that linked visitors to the third-party websites was also considered to be internet piracy. This is a situation where it is important to consult with a criminal defense attorney to assure that all aspects of the alleged crime are investigated and that the accused person receives all rights they are entitled to by law, including the assumption of innocence.

Copyright infringement issues are important to those businesses and individuals that hold copyrights, because the theft of their protected "property" can result in the tangible damages of loss of income and other ownership elements they are entitled to possess. When someone illegally profits from use of copyrighted materials, it is equivalent to theft. If you are accused of internet crime, obtain the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately to protect your rights.

Source: Reuters, "Super Bowl Pre-Game: Feds Seize, Arrest Online Sporting-Event Pirates," Peter Voskamp, Feb. 2, 2012