Computers, the Internet, and Theft

The law prohibits:

• Pirating or downloading copyrighted material (such as music) without authorization.  Under federal law, criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

• Accessing someone else's computer without authorization.

• Devising and executing schemes to obtain money, property or services with false or fraudulent intent through a computer.

• Deleting, damaging or destroying systems, networks, programs, databases, or components of computers without authorization.

• Disrupting or denying access to the authorized users of a computer.

• Introducing contaminants or viruses to a computer.