A student has been convicted of illegally downloading music and films from the internet in the first case if its kind in the US. Parvin Dhaliwal, who was studying at the University of Arizona, had admitted possession of counterfeit marks, or unauthorized copies of intellectual property. It"s the first time anyone has been prosecuted at state level of such an offence - normally copyright is dealt with at federal level.
Under agreement with prosecutors, Dhaliwal was sentenced last month to a three-month deferred jail sentence, three years of probation, 200 hours of community service and a $5400 fine. He was also ordered to avoid file-sharing software and to take a copyright class at the university. Dhaliwal was 17 when he committed the crime and was charged at 18. He was apparently dealt with at state level to allow a deferred sentence to be handed down.
The FBI found illegal copies of music and movies on Dhaliwal"s computer, including films that, at the time of the theft, were available only in cinemas. They included "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Matrix Revolutions", "The Cat In The Hat", and "Mona Lisa Smile".