The arrests cap a 14 month FBI investigation into a group who were
obtaining pirated software overseas and shipping it into the US to
be sold at discounted prices.
Genuine versions of Microsoft software carry an edge to edge
hologram as a security feature, which the pirates attempted to
imitate. The counterfeit CDs had stickers with holograms imitating
the legitimate holograms placed on them. Microsoft’s senior manager
of world wide piracy enforcement, Richard LaManga said: “If you can
peel it off with your finger, you know it’s not a genuine
article”.
The group are alleged to have been selling software such as
Microsoft’s Office 2000 for $75. The retail price of the genuine
software is $599.
