Two people were arrested last week for allegedly masterminding a multi-million dollar software software piracy ring following a joint operation by Greek and British police. The duo, one Greek and one Briton, are accused of selling counterfeit computer aided design software for $905, much less than the going rate, Reuters reports [1]. The news agency adds that police allegedly recovered a computer, three hard disks and 7,000 CDs of "warez" pirated software in the process of arresting the pair.

This illicit trade cost the unnamed developer, a"multinational software firm", $360m, according to police. This figure assumes that anyone who used the counterfeit software would have bought the legit version and paid top whack for it, both questionable assumptions. ®

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DrinkOrDie London trial opens [3]
11 charged over 'biggest-ever' MS piracy bust [4]
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Software pirates cost $9.7bn in Europe - BSA [6]

Links

1. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=6800377
2. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/21/gt_web_leak/
3. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/20/drinkordie_case/
4. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/17/digital_marauder_charges/
5. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/10/02/smes_slammed_for_unlicensed_software/
6. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/07/bsa_software_piracy_study/