College Student Convicted of Internet Piracy

A college student pleaded guilty to illegally distributing movies, music and software programs from his Web site in what federal prosecutors on Friday said was the first Internet piracy conviction under a 1997 law.

Jeffrey Levy was arrested after investigators found that thousands of pirated software programs and digitally recorded movies and music had been distributed through equipment at his apartment near the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, officials said.

Levy, a 22-year-old senior there, could get up to three years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 for his violation of the No Electronic Theft Act, also called the NET Act. It makes it illegal to reproduce or distribute copyrighted works, even if they are distributed without charge.

“Mr. Levy’s case should serve as a notice that the Justice Department has made prosecution of Internet piracy one of its priorities,” said James K. Robinson, assistant U.S. attorney general.

Officials wouldn’t specify what movies or music he was distributing.

The FBI was tipped by university computer managers who saw an unusually high volume of traffic on one of its servers--computers that typically handle connections with the Internet.

The school does not monitor individual exchanges, but watches volume to make sure the system is working smoothly, said Joanne Hugi, director of the university’s computer center.

“We’re not sitting here being cybercops,” Hugi said.

Calls to the Software Information Industry Assn. in Washington, D.C., found only a recorded message saying the office had closed early for the weekend.

Levy was to be sentenced Nov. 22.