Volume II

Issue : 17: September 9, 2004

• RIAA Sues More File Sharers While Report Shows Progress for University Anti Piracy Initiatives
• Internet Only Pharmacies in England Get the Green Light
• Man Receives Criminal Conviction under HIPAA
• U.S. Court of Appeals Rules Universal Transmitter Does Not Violate Digital Millennium Copyright Act
• Ontario Court Orders Disclosure of Employees Personal Information despite PIPEDA
• Atlantic Canada Governments to Sell Lottery Tickets Online
• U.S. Court of Appeals Finds Digital Sampling of Music Can be Infringement of Copyright
• U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Antiecommerce Protectionist State Law

Home > Volume II > Issue 17: September 9, 2004 > Man Receives Criminal Conviction under HIPAA

Man Receives Criminal Conviction under HIPAA

Richard W. Gibson pleaded guilty on August 19, 2004 to wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (the "HIPAA"). This is the first criminal conviction pursuant to the HIPAA, which came into effect in April 2003. Gibson, who was employed at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, had used a cancer patient's name, date of birth and social security number to obtain four credit cards and accumulate more than $9,000 in debt in the patient's name. Gibson has signed a Plea Agreement which provides that Gibson pay restitution to the credit card companies and to the patient and be sentenced to a term of 10-16 months, the particulars of which shall be decided on November 5, 2004, if the U.S. District Court decides to accept the Plea Agreement.

For more information visit:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/waw/press_room/2004/aug/gibson.htm