U.S. to Drop Software Charges Against Russian

Charges will be dropped against a Russian computer programmer accused of violating electronic-book copyrights in exchange for his testimony in the trial of his company, ending part of a case that has generated worldwide protests.

Dmitry Sklyarov, 27, had been charged in the first criminal prosecution under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He could have faced up to five years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Sklyarov will be required to give a deposition in the case and possibly testify for either side, prosecutors and defense attorneys said Thursday.

Sklyarov and his employer, ElComSoft Co. of Moscow, were charged with releasing a program that allows readers to disable restrictions on Adobe Systems Inc. electronic-book software. ElComSoft’s program is legal in Russia.

Sklyarov was arrested after speaking at a hacking convention in Las Vegas on July 16. He was freed on bail in August but was required to remain in Northern California while the case proceeded. He now will be allowed to return home, his attorney said.

“With this agreement, Dmitry gets everything he could get from an acquittal, and more. The indictment will be dismissed eventually, he gets to tell his story truthfully without pressure from the government, and he gets to go home now, rather than wait in the U.S. while the case is fought,” said Sklyarov’s attorney, John Keker.

ElComSoft’s chief executive, Alex Katalov, said he was pleased that the company, not Sklyarov, would bear sole responsibility for the charges.

Adobe’s eBook Reader gives publishers a format for selling books online.

It is designed to prevent the transfer of materials between users and devices without the consent of the publisher.