The FBI and other US law officials smashed a massive software piracy ring in California last week. They made 27 arrests, mostly Taiwanese nationals, and mostly picked up in San Francisco. The ring is thought to have cost Microsoft $75m in lost sales.

The FBI sting follows a two year investigation in which undercover cops made purchase of millions of dollars (at retail price) of bootlegged Microsoft software. The software was produced in Taiwan and then shipped to the US, according to reports. ®