Guns N' Roses finally gets some good news after nearly  month of nothing but bad news. Kevin Cogill, who uploaded an early copy of Chinese Democracy in a move that may or may not have contributed to the album's abysmal sales, officially entered his plea to a Los Angeles county federal court. As expected, he pleaded guilty, which will result in a confinement term of up to one year. However, Cogill's deal with prosecutors means he will not have to spend time in prison.

Cogill, aka Skwerl, has been nothing if not compliant with the feds since getting caught. He had worked closely with them to track down the source of the leak. It remains to be seen whether Axl Rose will eventually pursue a civil case. He may have tried to avoid it once Cogill started collaborating in finding the leak's source, but with said awful sales handcuffing Rose to an as-of-yet unreported production cost, it may be Rose's best chance of avoiding crippling debt. Of course, Axl Rose is the least of the credit crunch's concerns at this point. [Wired]