Anonymous writes "We've become accustomed to the over-the-top figures of the RIAA, MPAA, BSA, et. al. when it comes to calculating "losses" attributed to piracy (or counting the number of CD-writers used in an illegal duplication operation). The loss calculations are based on the flawed logic that every unauthorized copy of a work represents a real, tangible lost sale.
Unfortunately, based on a recent US Department of Justice press release, it seems the US government has adopted similarly absurd accounting methods. According to the press release at this location, the DISH Network sustained "lost programming revenue" of $14,862,960 over a 15 month period in a case involving the sale of 6000 illegal satellite decoder devices. However, when the loss figures are broken down, we find that this figure is based on the value of unlimited access to all channels -- a stunning $2,477 per year. Can anyone reasonably believe that all 6000 users would pay the full unlimited rate if deprived of their counterfeit decoders? "