Volume V

Issue : 5: March 8, 2007

• California Supreme Court Rules Online Re publishers not Liable for Third Party Postings
• SEC Sues Hacker for Prematurely Accessing Press Releases and Trading on Non-Public Information
• New Zealand Passes Anti spam Law
• Verizon Wireless Wins Judgment Against Wireless Spammer
• Australian State Blocks YouTube in Public Schools to Counter Cyber Bullying
• Appellate Court Upholds Conviction in Acxiom Data Theft Case
• Pro Golfer Sues over Defamatory Wikipedia Posting

Home > Volume V > Issue 5: March 8, 2007 > Appellate Court Upholds Conviction in Acxiom Data Theft Case

Appellate Court Upholds Conviction in Acxiom Data Theft Case

In August 2005, Scott Levine, the owner of a Florida company named Snipermail Inc., was convicted of multiple counts of unauthorized access to data, two counts of access device fraud, and one count of obstruction of justice. The charges related to the theft of 1 billion records that data-management giant Acxiom Corp. had collected through its work for large corporate clients. Snipermail distributed Internet ads to email addresses, and was given access to some of Acxiom’s database. However, Levine used decryption software to access many more Acxiom records. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, and was ordered to pay $153,395.00 to Acxiom in restitution.

In February 2007, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction and the sentence. The appellate court rejected arguments that the trial judge should not have considered evidence of Levine’s “lavish personal expenditures” and that the trial judge miscalculated Levine’s sentence.

For additional information, visit:

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/16750676.htm