Loading ...Fake Software Syndicate Busted
Upping the ante against global software piracy, a major software counterfeiting syndicate based out of Guangdong in Southern China reportedly has been busted.
The crime syndicate is allegedly responsible for manufacturing and distributing over $2 billion worth of counterfeit Microsoft software, that was found in 27 countries across 5 continents of the globe.
The fake software contained fake versions of 13 of Microsoft’s most popular products, including Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Office 2003, Windows XP, and Windows Server.
Produced in at least 8 languages including Croatian, Dutch, English, German, Italian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish, the counterfeit software — nearly 55,000 copies — was all traceable to the crime syndicate based out of South China.
Interestingly, the confiscated software copies still account for less than 1 percent of the millions of such copies estimated to have been produced and shipped to distributors and countries around the world.
The investigation, which spanned a couple of years, was led by FBI Los Angeles and China’s Public Security Bureau (PSB), and aided by Microsoft Corp along with hundreds of Microsoft customers.
Full Story Via Techtree.com
Filed under: Offbeat News, Software
