Windows

4 Years in Prison for the World's Top Windows Pirate

$1 billion pirated Microsoft software = 4 years imprisonment

By Marius Oiaga, Technology News Editor

4th of February 2008, 12:47 GMT

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Once on the top of the piracy world, responsible for the counterfeiting of an estimated $900 million worth of Microsoft products, Huang Jer-sheng from Taiwan, owner of the Taipei-based distributor Maximus Technology Inc., will spend the next four years of his life in prison. The pirated software syndicate lead by Huang Jer-sheng has been the largest producer and distributor of counterfeit Microsoft products in the world, between 1997 and 2003. According to Microsoft, the Taiwan-based operation originated in excess of 90% of all the high quality counterfeit Microsoft software products around the world.

"The prison sentences handed down in this case in Taiwan - and the dozens of other criminal cases brought by prosecutors around the world against others

associated with these Taiwan-based defendants - provide another stark reminder of the consequences of counterfeiting Microsoft products. Microsoft applauds the work of the Taiwanese authorities in taking such strong enforcement action against this syndicate. This case is another testament to the strong partnership between local law enforcement authorities and private companies, and shows the impact those partnerships can have in getting counterfeit software off the market and bringing criminal counterfeiters to justice," explained David Finn, associate general counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting at Microsoft, speaking at the 4th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, Dubai.

A total of two CD replication plants in Taiwan, Chungtek Hightech Enterprise Ltd. and Cinway Technology Co. were the locations used by Huang Jer-sheng to counterfeit software discs and components. Huang Jer-sheng's three associates also got sentenced to prison, from 18 months to three years. The Redmond company revealed that at least 21 of its software products had been involved in the pirated software operations.

"The criminals behind counterfeit syndicates are organized, resourceful and willing to spend large amounts of money to develop and ship pirated goods to markets all over the world. Piracy is a crime, pure and simple, and it is imperative we coordinate our efforts across the globe to stop these criminal syndicates and this illicit trade," added John Newton, manager of the Intellectual Property Crime project at INTERPOL.

TAGS:

Microsoft | piracy | Taiwan | Huang Jer-sheng

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