Jeremiah Joseph Mondello, of Eugene, Ore., has been sentenced to four years in prison for using computer viruses to sell more than $1 million worth of pirated software, according to The Washington Post.

Mondello used keystroke-logging programs via online IM networks to steal financial data from dozens of consumers. He then used the stolen information to set up more than 40 online auction accounts on eBay and PayPal using the victims' names.

Thanks to a decision by a federal judge in the Tiffany & Co. case, though, eBay may not face any legal action. The judge ruled that companies like Tiffany are responsible for defending their brands, not the online auction site.

However, there is an interesting twist brewing. The Software and Information Industry Association brought the Mondello case to the government's attention. Now the SIIA is turning its attention to eBay itself, considering taking legal action against the online auctioneer to make it liable for goods sold on its site.