Andre Yoskowitz
24 Jul 2007 16:09
The FBI and China's Public Security Bureau have led an investigation that has led to the discovery and disbandment of a $2 billion global software piracy ring in southern China. The syndicate is considered one of the largest in the world.
Microsoft, for its part, assisted in providing the FBI with information that led to arrests and confiscations of pirated software.
Software counterfeited by the ring was found on five continents and 26 individual countries. 13 separate products were produced by the syndicate, the most notable being Windows Vista Premium and Office 2007, both from Microsoft.
So far, authorities have traced 55,000 copies back to the ring but investigators believe the total output of the group is about 5 million discs.
"This case should serve as a wake-up call to counterfeiters," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said. "Customers around the world are turning you in, governments and law enforcement have had enough, and private companies will act decisively to protect intellectual property."
Microsoft went as far as to say that countries around the world should see a "significant decrease" in the amount of available pirated software thanks to the latest busts.
Of the 55,000 discs traced, 1000 came from customers who had been duped and thousands of others came from resellers.
The probe was part of a much larger investigation that has been going on since 2005.
According to the BSA and IDC, global piracy costs the industry 35 billion dollars per year.
Source:
BetaNews