Karaoke businesses violates copyright

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota for the first time convictes of copyright infringement in karaoke music.

Photo: Karaoke businesses violates copyright

Tracy Ann Brock, 43, pleaded guilty Monday to a single count of felony conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, according to a news release.

Prosecutors claimed that Brock, as president and co-owner of Star Music Inc., distributed hundreds of thousands of illegal copies of karaoke recordings that were loaded into computer hard drives and then sold on eBay and other online auction sites.

Prosecutors alleged that Brock conspired to sell the infringing copies of the music from April 2004 to July 2006 - when the FBI searched her house.

Special agents seized large numbers of compact discs, computers and other equipment to copy, store and distribute the pirated music.

The case was part of the Department of Justice's broader initiative to prevent online computer piracy, the U.S. attorney's office in Minnesota said in a news release.

A message left with Brock's attorney was not immediately returned. She faces up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 (184,000 EUR) and three years of supervised release.