25 arrested, phony software seized in joint China-US investigation

[icedragon17]

BEIJING (AFP) - An "unprecedented" China-US operation has seized a huge haul of Chinese-made counterfeit software and arrested 25 people for exporting the bogus goods, the FBI said Tuesday.

The joint investigation, codenamed "Summer Solstice," was carried out by China's Ministry of Public Security and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, an FBI statement issued here said.

All the arrests and seizures -- of mainly counterfeit Microsoft and Symantec software that was to be shipped globally -- were made in China, it said.

"This unprecedented cooperative effort led to the arrest of 25 individuals, the search of multiple businesses and residential locations... and the seizure of over 290,000 counterfeit software CDs," it said.

"The counterfeit software has an estimated retail value of 500 million dollars," it said, with over 70 percent of the bogus software destined for the United States.

The Chinese government also seized assets in China worth over seven million dollars, it added.

Among those arrested in China was Ma Kepei and 10 others allegedly involved in producing bogus Microsoft products and distributing them in the United States.

Ma was indicted in New York in 2003 for pirating Microsoft software, but fled back to China where he began pirating Symantec products and distributing them globally, it said.

Chinese law enforcers also froze 500,000 dollars and five real estate properties owned by Ma and seized equipment to manufacture counterfeit Symantec products.

The investigation also uncovered 14 major producers of high-quality counterfeit software in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, leading to the arrests of 14 people and the disabling of six manufacturing and retail facilities, it said.

Over the past 25 years, as China has become a major global manufacturer, it has also developed into one of the world's worst violators of intellectual property rights, cranking out bogus goods ranging from software and movies to clothing, car parts and pharmaceuticals.

According to the US Chamber of Commerce, counterfeiting and piracy costs the United States economy about 250 billion dollars annually, has led to the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs and exposes consumers to dangerous and defective products.

source: asianewsyahoo

[chiongster]

The investigation also uncovered 14 major producers of high-quality counterfeit software in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, leading to the arrests of 14 people and the disabling of six manufacturing and retail facilities, it said.

They have export services for those reside outside China. I think low quality product isn't assiociate with China now, they game for big things(at least for those pirate seller).

[asay]

Lol, no matter how many the authorities catch out, arrest and jail, there will always be counterfeit goods around the world(no matter in asia or elsewhere).

The question here is since these guys are gone now...... how many new ones have come out of the woodworks?

I just hope the new guys make proper high quality counterfeit stuff, I mean you can't beat these guys no matter how hard the authorities try so just hope everything is top quality

[DEPTHSING]

yeah~ no matter how many u catch, there will always be more out there~ so for the benefit of consumers, they might as well produce cheaper but better quality pirated goods.~