Counterfeit software ring busted by police

[Zuo Ci]

Counterfeit software ring busted by police
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 07 April 2011 2335 hrs

A pirated copy of Microsoft Windows Vista

SINGAPORE: A counterfeit software ring in Singapore with connections in Malaysia and Australia have been busted, after police carried out raids at various locations on Thursday.

Over 1,000 pieces of software and 12 tablet PCs that had unlicensed Microsoft Windows 7 installed were seized.

The raid began at a storage warehouse in Changi and continued at other locations in Pasir Ris, Chinatown and Bukit Batok.

Close to a dozen police officers worked with the Microsoft Counterfeit Investigation unit.

Microsoft said the items seized were previously sold to consumers with counterfeit Certificate of Authenticity labels placed on the tablet PCs and software packaging to deceive consumers.

Under the Singapore Copyright Act, a person found guilty of infringing copyright can be fined S$10,000 for each item or face a maximum imprisonment of five years.

The raids in Singapore were executed as part of a coordinated effort across the region to put a stop to the syndicate's illegal activities.

Criminal raids also took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

-CNA/ac

 

[Toshiie Maeda]

Apr 8, 2011

Raids uncover tablet PCs with fake software
Police break distribution arms of regional syndicate, two arrested

By Chua Hian Hou , Technology Correspondent

Police found more than a thousand copies of pirated Microsoft software, a dozen X9 brand tablet computers, and more than 300 set-top boxes in yesterday's crackdown. -- PHOTO: MICROSOFT

THE touchscreen tablet craze has got another group of people excited: pirated software syndicates.

Yesterday, the police arrested two men for selling tablet computers loaded with bootleg software, the first time such products have been found here.

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Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.