Private investigators in the infamous HP spying case, dating back to 2005, have been fined $600,000 by a court judge. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission unveiled that the defendants have also been banned from obtaining consumers’ telephone records without their consent.

The scandal broke out a few years ago, when HP investigators obtained confidential phone records of several reporters and their families in a practice known as “pretexting.” The private investigators had been hired by HP to investigate a series of boardroom leaks.

When the scandal broke out, several company officials resigned, but the story was far from being over. In 2007, three CNET reporters filed a lawsuit against the computer maker for invasion of privacy and violating state rules on business practices.

In February 2007, the FTC also filed a lawsuit against Action Research Group (owned by Joseph and Matthew DePantes), Eye in the Sky Investigations (owned by Cassandra Selvage) and Bryan Wagner. At the same time, FTC asked a U.S. district court to halt all operations to sell confidential phone records. Wagner pleaded guilty to conspiracy and identity theft charges.

According to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a customer’s phone records may only be disclosed “upon affirmative written request by the customers.” Despite of that, Action Research Group sold confidential information since at least 2005 without customers’ consent.

The court order states that DePantes and ARG are to pay $67,000 in ill-gotten gains (however, the judgment was suspended upon a $3,000 payment due to the defendants’ inability to pay), while Wagner was ordered to pay $428,000 and Selvage was ordered to pay $110,000.