Internet Businessman from New York Sentenced for Infringing Copyrights

NORFOLK, VA—Dennis Newsome, age 36, of Beacon, New York, was sentenced today to 11 months in prison, followed by nine months of home confinement during and as part of a three-year term of supervised release, for criminally infringing copyrighted works. As part of the sentence, Newsome also forfeited assorted computers, hard drives, and other electronic equipment containing contraband and facilitating his crimes, which equipment the FBI seized during a November 2010 search of Newsome’s residence.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Newsome pleaded guilty in Norfolk federal court to four counts of criminal copyright infringement on August 23, 2012.

According to court documents, Dennis Newsome owned and operated an online business, known as PCTech101, which sold computer software, education, and training materials to customers via the Internet and by means of websites (at www.pctech101.com and www.pctech101.net ). In spite of having previously been sued in federal court for civil copyright infringement in 2006 and having repeatedly received complaints and notices from webhosting companies and copyright holders, from 2008 through 2010 Newsome illegally sold digital copies of valuable, copyrighted works from his websites at a fraction of the true cost of the genuine copyrighted works. For example, Newsome sold illegal copies of several copyrighted computer security training products made and sold by the SANS Institute for $24.99, when the SANS Institute sold such products at prices ranging from $750.00 to $4,295.00.

Other copyright holders whose products Newsome copied and distributed without permission included Shon Harris, CBT Nuggets, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Virtual Training Company, Inc., Mark Minasi, and Arnold Jagt and the Robinson Curriculum. From 2008 through 2010, Newsome sold over 766 illegal copies of these copyright holders’ products, worth approximately $345,021.68, throughout the United States and the world.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Krask prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.