BitTorrent Uploader Escapes Jail, Loses Job
Written by enigmax on September 17, 2008
http://torrentfreak.com/elitetorrents-uploader-escapes-jail-loses-job-080917/Another member of EliteTorrents has been sentenced. An Duc Do, an uploader on the site and former student of Drexel University, yesterday escaped jail but was sentenced to 3 years probation, a $15,000 fine and 400 hours of community service instead. As a result he loses his job at Lockheed Martin.
Back in November 2007 we reported on the plight of An Duc Do, an ex-uploader at the now-defunct EliteTorrents BitTorrent tracker.
Duc Do, was found guilty of uploading the movies Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Flight of the Phoenix and King Arthur to a seedbox, for the benefit of the site’s members
Unlike previous defendants Scott McCausland and Grant Stanley, Duc Do escapes a jail sentence. Instead, after pleading guilty to conspiracy and copyright infringement charges, the former Drexel University student was given 3 years probation, a $15,000 fine and 400 hours of community service.
According to prosecutor Floyd Miller, Duc Do wasn’t as dedicated as other uploaders on Elite: “They threatened to kick him out of the organization because he wasn’t uploading as much as some of the other pirates were doing,” he said.
However, despite escaping jail, the future doesn’t look immediately bright for Duc Do. After getting a degree in computer science from Drexel University, he later landed a job at the worlds largest defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, developing military war-games. This conviction means that Duc Do will have to resign from his job.
Other convictions in the case include those of Daniel Dove who was recently jailed for 18 months. Site admin Grant Stanley, then aged 23, pleaded guilty to the same offenses as Scott and received the same sentence and a $3,000 fine. Other admins and uploaders who also pleaded guilty include Sam Kuonen, then aged 24, and 22 year old Scott D. Harvanek.
