LOUISVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND FIREARMS CHARGES

– Man Made over $70,000 Worth of Copyright-Violated CDs and DVDs

LOUISVILLE, KY - Christopher Royce Hinkle, age 35, of Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County, pled guilty on August 24, 2007, to four counts of willfully infringing the copyrights of sound recordings, motion pictures, and audio-visual works, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney David L. Huber of the Western District of Kentucky announced today.

Hinkle admitted that between April 1, 2005 and April 7, 2006, and between April 7, 2006 and February 2, 2007, he willfully infringed the copyrights of sound recordings by reproducing copies of compact discs (CDs) valued at $32,152.00 and motion pictures and audio-visual works by reproducing copies of digital video recordings (DVDs) valued at $41,002.00, for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. Hinkle admitted to possessing computer towers, duplicators, a DVD decrypter, and spindles of CDs and DVDs, which were used to make the copyright-violated CDs and DVDs. The total loss in the case is $73,154.00.

Hinkle also admitted that on April 7, 2006, he possessed a ROMO .22 caliber revolver after having been convicted of burglary, a felony, in Dallas, Texas, in 1990. Hinkle admitted that he possessed the firearm to "protect his business."

The maximum potential penalties are 30 years imprisonment, a $1,250,000 fine, and supervised release for a period of 5 years.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Claire Phillips, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department.