Obstruction of Justice - Federal law penalizes the obstruction of justice. Because it involves intent to conceal criminal activity, courts have frequently referred to obstruction of justice as a crime of moral turpitude....more
Money laundering is the process of disguising criminal proceeds—that is, the process of cleansing the taint from the proceeds of crime. Money laundering, as a very general matter, occurs when a person or organization earns...more
The Travel Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1952, makes it a federal crime to travel, use the mail, or use any facility in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of furthering an “unlawful activity.”...more
Defending a Hobbs Act Violation – 18 U.S.C § 1951 -
The Hobbs Act, codified at 18 U.S.C § 1951, is a federal law that was enacted in 1946. It was originally used to curtail racketeering in labor disputes, which was a...more
Counterfeit and Illicit Labels Under Section 2318 -
Much like the Copyright Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2318 is a criminal statute designed to protect creative works. It prohibits knowingly trafficking in counterfeit or illicit...more
When does a copyright violation rise to the level of criminal copyright infringement? We address this issue below. Federal prosecutors have a number of statutory tools available to combat this common white-collar crime. In...more
In the United States, trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks are protected not only under civil law pursuant to the Lanham Act, but also under criminal law pursuant to the Trademark...more
This CLE paper explores criminal intellectual property violations. There are a wide range of potentially applicable statutory provisions. Part One broadly discusses criminal copyright infringement, focusing on 17 U.S.C....more