Play Meter

O'Reilly gets five-year
jail term
Tim O 'Reilly, a Canadian operator
convicted July 24 on copyright viola-
lions for selling counterfeit video
games. was sentenced September II
in Federal Co uri to five years in prison
and ordered to pay restitution to Data
East. the company who manufacturers
such games as Karate Champ, Kung
Fu Master, and Commando, all targets
of game copiers.
O'Reilly was one of several people
arrested in April and charged with
copyright infringement. but the first
one to go to trial. His conviction
brought several others forward to
plead guilty, noted Glenn BraswelL
executive director of the American ·
Amusement Machine Association. at
the time of O 'Reilly's conviction .
Another arrested with O'Reilly was
Tom Gross of Harlan, Kentucky, who
has already been convicted and is
now awaiting sentencing. However,
Gross was convicted of operating
illegal copied games. not selling them
like O'Reilly.
BraswelL whose association ,
American Amusement Machine Asso-
ciation ( AAMA). worked closely with
the FBI on the two month long investi-
gation which resulted in the arrests of
O 'Reilly; Gross; Simon Hoof New York
City; James Yarborough of YC
Engineering, Laverne. Tennessee;
and Jerry Carnes. Lanier Space
Center, who turned himself in after
hearing about the warrant for his
arrest. said that this FBI undercover
operation "should seiVe as a warning
to other video game pirates that this
criminal activity will not be tolerated
at any level in the industry."
Bob Lloyd, president of Data East
and of the AAMA had commented
that counterfeiters had cost his
company S 15 million on Karate
Champ alone. In FBI tapes, O'Reilly
reportedly claimed he alone had cost
Data East over 57 million in profits.
Lloyd added that as many as 60
10
percent of the hit game machines in
video arcades were counterfeit.
O'Reilly's jail term is the maximum
allowed under law. The law also sets a
maximum fine of 5250.000, but O 'Reilly
was not fined . The restitution to Data
East appears to be much less than the
fine would have been.
The FBI had in the past expressed
reseiVations about spending time and
money pursuing copiers who were
likely to get off with a mere slap on the
wrist. However, with O 'Reilly's convic-
tion and sentence, it appears other
under cover investigations will be
seeking game counterfeiters. So.
beware. for as Braswell says, " O 'Reilly
got what he deseiVed." And if this case.
said to be a precedent. is any indica-
lion. O'Reilly will not be the last person
convicted on selling or operating
illegaL counterfeit video games.
•
Capcom opens
U.S. office
Capcom Company Ltd, Osaka.
Japan . the company that has
developed such hit games as
Commando. licensed to Data East;
Ghosts 'N Goblins. licensed to Taito
and Digital Controls in a joint venture;
and 1942 licensed to Williams and
now Romstar, has finalized plans to
open an office in the United States to
be called Capcom USA.
The president of Capcom Ltd.
Kenzo Tsujimoto. is the former pres-
ident and founder of !rem Corp . Tsuji-
Seaburg's Preludes shipped to Canada
Volume shipments of Seeburg Preludes to Laniel Automatique Machines
of Montreal Quebec began in mid June followed by additional trailer
loads in July, August. and September .
Vice president Jean Coutu of Laniel Automatique expressed his pleasure
at Seeburg's decision to continue production of the Prelude through the
introduction of the SCD-1 000 Comoact Disc Phon ograph.
PLAY METER, October 15, 1965