China Jails Counterfeiters
By Christopher Nickson
January 05, 2009
China has given jail sentences to 11 counterfeiters convicted of faking Microsoft software.
Microsoft has described them as "ringleaders of the world's largest software-counterfeiting syndicate," but on New Year’s Eve the 11 men convicted of counterfeiting Microsoft software became numbers, as they were given jail sentences of between one-and-a-half and six-and-a-half years after being found guilty of counterfeiting, supposedly the longest sentences for the crime in Chinese history.
They reportedly distributed over $2 billion in fake Microsoft software before being identified in a joint operation between the FBI and the Chinese Public Security Bureau, leading to a series of arrests in July 2007, according to ZDNet. In a statement, Microsoft said that "evidence provided by Microsoft customers through the Microsoft [Windows Genuine Advantage] piracy reporting tool proved to be essential in tracking down this criminal syndicate."
Microsoft's vice president for the Greater China region, Fengming Liu, said:
"We will continue to work with the relevant authorities in China to ensure that counterfeit software does not undermine the development of China's knowledge economy."
The company is pumping more than $1 billion into research and development in the country.