Australia Extradites Alleged Software Pirate to U.S.

On February 20, 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia held an initial hearing for Hew Raymond Griffiths, 44, a British national living in Bateau Bay, Australia, who authorities allege led one of the oldest, most prominent Internet software piracy groups. Authorities and private sector groups have hailed Griffiths’ controversial extradition from Australia to the U.S. as a landmark moment for intellectual property enforcement. U.S. authorities have charged Griffiths with one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and one count of criminal copyright infringement. If convicted on both counts, Griffiths could receive a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Prior to his arrival in the U.S., Griffiths spent approximately three years detained in Australia while fighting the U.S. extradition request ... [more]