MIT Student Charged in Software Giveaway

An MIT student was charged with setting up a computer bulletin board service providing free copies of commercial computer programs.

David LaMacchia, 20, a junior at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was indicted Thursday on one felony count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, said U.S. Atty. Donald K. Stern.

Computer bulletin boards allow users to share information via telephone lines, including the copying of computer programs, known as software.

LaMacchia, an electrical engineering and computer science major from Rockville, Md., used the computer aliases “John Gaunt” and “Grimjack” to operate the bulletin board in November, December and early January, the indictment said.

As many as 180 people used the illegal software library over one 16-hour period, copying hundreds of copyrighted programs, it said.

MIT’s system is part of the computer network Internet, so users worldwide were able to illegally copy the software, Stern said. MIT computer specialists discovered the bulletin board in December and notified authorities.

LaMacchia did not immediately return a telephone call today seeking comment.