Customs mounted a two-day operation against corporate piracy

Date: 20/08/2007

Customs officers of the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau mounted a 2-day (August 20 and 21) operation against corporate end-user piracy.

On August 20 (Monday), following up on public information that a company used computers installed with infringing software, Customs officers raided a spectacle manufacturing company in Kowloon Bay, seizing 28 sets of computer installed with infringing software, including operating system, office application and professional computer aided design software; and two pirated discs of computer software. The seizure value was $113,540. The market value of the genuine version of the software was about $206,500.

Customs officers arrested 3 men, aged between 30 and 49, including a director and two company staffs. They are on bail pending further investigation.

Under the Copyright Ordinance, anyone who knowingly uses pirated software in business commits a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and imprisonment for four years.

Acting on public reports that computer shops sold computers installed with infringing software, Customs officers disguised as customers and launched an operation against three shops in Cheung Sha Wan, Diamond Hill and Ma On Shan respectively yesterday (August 21).

They seized four sets of computer with infringing software and 83 pirated discs of computer software. The total seizure was worth $29,135. Customs believed that the seized discs were used for installing infringing software to the computers ordered by customers.

In the operation, 3 men and 1 woman (who are 2 shop proprietors and 2 staffs), aged between 26 and 46, were arrested. They have been released on bail pending investigation.

According to the Copyright Ordinance, anyone distributes an infringing copy of a copyright work in the course of business which consists of dealing in that infringing copy commits a criminal offence. The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of $50,000 per article and imprisonment for four years.

To encourage people to provide information on corporate piracy activities, a reward scheme financed by Business Software Alliance and administered by Hong Kong Customs is in place. Members of the public are encouraged to support this Scheme by providing Customs with information on the use of pirated software in business through the Customs 24-hour hotline at 2545 6182.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
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