Police bust software piracy ring

UK crime fighters have helped crack a multi-million pound global internet software piracy organisation, following an international investigation across 10 countries.

Three men believed to be part of an underground software piracy organisation known as 'Fairlight’ were arrested in the UK earlier this week.

Recovered from three addresses in Belfast, Manchester and Sheffield were cracked software from all types of media, seven computers, more than 100 CD copiers, offensive weapons and counterfeit driving licences and credit cards.

The UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU), the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the Business Software Alliance (BSA) worked together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Justice on the operation.

Detective Superintendent Mick Deats, deputy head of the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit said: "Intellectual property theft is a global problem that hurts economies around the world. To be effective, we must respond globally. We will always act in partnership with other law enforcement agencies to counteract all forms of hi-tech crime.”

The investigations focused on individuals and organisations that specialise in the internet distribution of pirated materials. More than 200 computers were nabbed worldwide, including 30 computer servers that functioned as storage and distribution hubs. According to the NHTCU, these servers contain hundreds of thousands of copies of pirated works.

“Internet pirates are often considered harmless but are in fact extremely successful in exploiting the anonymity of the web to market and distribute their goods; their activities constitute a major threat to the UK's economy as well as individual consumers and the software industry itself," said Beth Scott, vice president of the BSA.