Microsoft fakes worth millions

Fake Microsoft products valued at US$750 million are at the heart of a copyright trial which started yesterday in a district court in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

The FBI warned local police last year that a gang was pirating software in Shenzhen and now 11 members of the alleged ring are in court, Guangzhou-based Information Times reported today.

The FBI told the Shenzhen police that 70 percent of the fake software had been sold to people in the United States and other copies were found in Australia, Canada, Germany and Britain. Microsoft itself has been paying close attention to the case.

Yesterday in the Futian District People's Court, the gang leader, Wang Wenhua, admitted he had sold pirated software for many years in Shenzhen and organized the manufacture of fake Microsoft products after finding buyers seeking quality fake software.

In March this year Wang had one of his co-accused, Xiao Zhuangxiong, make 15,000 copies of three fake Microsoft products and promised to pay Xiao 3.5 yuan for each piece, he told the court.

Xiao bought three mother discs of Microsoft Windows XP's Professional edition, Family edition and Office 2003 for 990 yuan in total from Ma Jiwei who worked at a technology company.

Xiao later asked another man, Wu Chuanjun, to make 15,000 copies of these for 2.5 yuan each.

Wu subcontracted the deal to Liao Zhuangwu for 1.5 yuan per piece. The gang leader Wang eventually received the fakes.

Wang had even ordered fake laser anti-forgery labels for his products, produced by his other accomplices, the court learned.

Two men, Che Tingfeng and Che Tinghua, bought fake discs from Wang and sold them overseas via the Internet but the price was not revealed in court.

Che Tingfeng confessed to the court he began to sell pirated software via the Internet to foreign clients in 2004 at great profit.

After getting the deal through email, Che contacted Wang for the pirate products and then sent them overseas. His clients usual paid him through Western Union.

With part of the suspect names and address from FBI, Shenzhen police rounded up the gang on July 6 last year. They also seized the pirated products from 13 of the gang's storage places, the report said.

The court didn't announce the verdict yesterday.