The NET Act

Amendment to Titles 17, 18, and 28

The No Electronic Theft Act, P.L. 105-147, December 16, 1997, was enacted to provide greater copyright protection by amending criminal copyright infringement provisions of Titles 17, 18, and 28, U.S. Code. This amendment makes it illegal to reproduce or distribute copyrighted works such as software and digital recordings, even if a work is distributed without charge. In 1998, this type of piracy cost U.S. companies around $11 billion.

The No Electronic Theft Act (NET Act) makes it a criminal infringement for a person to violate a copyright willfully for the purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain or by reproducing or distributing (including by electronic means), in any 180-day period, one or more copies or phonorecords of one or more copyrighted works that have a total retail value of more than $1,000. The penalty for infringement can be 1 to 3 years imprisonment (outlined in the NET Act; see the Law Text Downloads section (see buttons at top), and view No Electronic Theft Act).

Text of NET Act