Jeffrey Scott Patterson, Copyright Infringement, California 2024
A Lompoc man has admitted to using two websites to market and sell counterfeit versions of Adobe software in a federal copyright infringement case.
Jeffrey Scott Patterson, 52, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods.
According to prosecutors, Patterson used two websites to advertise and sell counterfeit Adobe software, including Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Creative Suite, at prices below retail.
Between 2015 and 2023, Patterson generated over $500,000 in sales from his scheme, which involved offering victims either a digital download or a CD version of the pirated Adobe software.
To bypass Adobe's security protocols, Patterson altered the software and used a 'key generator' to give his customers a counterfeit 'key code' that must be entered by a user when the software is installed on a computer.
Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations made two undercover purchases at about half of the full retail price – one for Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional and one for Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium.
Patterson's charge of trafficking in counterfeit goods carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez on June 27.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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