For as popular as the Internet is, guidelines concerning legal and illegal Internet activity are relatively unknown to many people. The fact of the matter is that some people do not understand that what they are doing is actually illegal unless or until they are charged with a cybercrime. In such cases, we here at Dusek Law are committed to educating our clients about North Dakota state and federal Internet crime guidelines, as well as their rights. We also encourage you and everyone else who uses the Internet to educate yourself about some of the online conduct that is considered illegal.
Complex.com lists the 10 most common Internet crimes that are prosecuted in the U.S. today. Some of the forms of online activity that are cited are more obviously offensive than others, including prostitution and child pornography. You may also recognize that the delivery, distribution or dispensing of controlled substances using the Internet is considered a federal drug trafficking offense. What you may not realize, however, is that there are several other types of online conduct and activity that are illegal on the federal level.
Did you know, for instance, that distributing a work via a computer network that is intended for commercial distribution is considered copyright infringement? Infringing upon copyrighted material is a federal offense in many cases, and can be accompanied by serious financial and legal penalties. Another Internet crime that you may unknowingly engage in is electronic harassment. Often times, there is a fine line between humor and harassment, and you may not fully appreciate the impact that your online communications are having on other people. Electronic harassment is defined as using anonymous online communications to annoy, threaten, abuse or otherwise harass another person.
Some online business practices and communications are also considered Internet crimes. Learn more about spam and other forms of cybercrime by visiting our web page any time.