Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Chinese Court Cracks Down On Counterfeiters

A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced 11 ringleaders of the world's largest software counterfeiting syndicate to prison sentences ranging from 1.5 to 6.5 years -- the longest sentences handed down in China's history for this type of crime. Those sentenced by the Futian People's Court were arrested in July 2007 following an international investigation led by China's Public Security Bureau and the FBI, and assisted by information provided by Microsoft and hundreds of its customers and partners.

The group manufactured and distributed upwards of $2 billion worth of high-quality counterfeit Microsoft software, the high-tech giant said in a press release. The counterfeit content -- 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. "This case is a testament to the importance of Microsoft's commitment to close collaboration with government bodies and local law enforcement agencies around the world to bring these criminals to justice, wherever they may be," Microsoft anti-piracy chief David Finn said.

Moving forward, Microsoft will continue to work with Chinese authorities to ensure that counterfeit software does not undermine the development of China's knowledge economy, said Fengming Liu, vice president of Microsoft Greater China Region. "This case is also a strong demonstration of the improvement in criminal law legislation and enforcement of intellectual property rights in China," added Zhao Bingzhi, president of the Criminal Law Research Committee of the China Law Society and vice president of the China Group of the International Association of Penal Law.