Microsoft has applauded the Chinese government for clamping down
on software pirates with prison sentences.
A court in Shenzhen, southern China, has handed down sentences
to 11 ringleaders of what was described as the world's largest
software counterfeiting syndicate.
The sentences, ranging from 1.5 to 6.5 years, include the
longest sentences handed down for this type of crime in China's
history.
Based in the southern China province of Guangdong, members of
the syndicate were arrested by Chinese authorities in July 2007,
following an international investigation led by China's Public
Security Bureau (PSB) and the FBI. Microsoft and hundreds of
Microsoft customers and partners also provided information which
assisted in the investigation.
The 11 accused were part of a criminal syndicate responsible for
manufacturing and distributing an estimated $2bn-worth of
high-quality counterfeit Microsoft software.
The counterfeit software, found in 36 countries and on five
continents, contained fake versions of 19 of
Microsoft's
most popular products and was produced in at least 11
languages.
"Microsoft greatly appreciates the work of China's PSB and the
FBI in taking strong enforcement action against this global
software counterfeiting syndicate," said David Finn, associate
general counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting
at Microsoft.
Fengming Liu, vice-president of Microsoft Greater China Region,
said, "Software piracy negatively impacts local economic growth,
stifling innovation, taking business opportunity away from
legitimate resale channels and putting consumers and partners at
risk. Enforcement of intellectual property rights is critical to
fostering an environment of innovation and fair competition."
Microsoft launched the
Genuine Software
Initiative in 2006, and since then it has intensified its
efforts to protect customers and channel partners from the risks of
counterfeit software through an increased focus on education,
engineering and enforcement.