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M1CUK > INFO 07.11.02 00:35l 51 Lines 1903 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 002530M1CUK
Read: DB0FHN GUEST
Subj: Software pirates arrested
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Sent: 021106/2223Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:26910 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:002530M1
From: M1CUK@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : INFO@WW
£40m software piracy ring smashed in Italy
By Tim Richardson
Posted: 05/11/2002 at 14:23 GMT
Police have smashed a counterfeit software ring in Italy worth almost œ40m
in what is described as one of the largest and most organised cases of
software piracy in Europe.
One person has been charged and a further 10 suspects fingered as the
Italian finance police (Guardia di Finanza) and the Business Software
Alliance (BSA) seized 100,000 software titles ready to be copied onto CDs
and DVDs.
The haul also included thousands of other illegally produced media
including the latest film releases and video games. Four thousand images
of explicit pornography - including child porn - were also seized as well
as information that could lead to the duplication of satellite TV smart
cards.
The network sold counterfeit software over the Internet using three
illegal Web sites. It also sold products using anonymous emails which
sometimes used encrypted messages with passwords to reach customers.
The Internet piracy ring had an estimated turnover of more than œ38.5m.
The BSA welcomed the crackdown claiming it is part of an active
investigation into software piracy in Europe.
Last month more than 20 people were arrested after police and Trading
Standards officers launched a series of dawn raids in the UK in an
orchestrated crackdown on software pirates.
Codenamed "Operation Andrew", officials seized more than 8,500 pirate
master CDs and copying equipment worth œ500,000
------------------------------------------------
73's
Trev,
SysOp GB7FCR
E-Mail trev@gb7fcr.co.uk
Web Site http://www.gb7fcr.co.uk
AX25 - tcp/ip - Telnet - axip - RF & Internet Linked System's
Located in Blackpool,Lancashire,On the North West Coast of the UK
Message timed: 21:16 on 06 Nov 02
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