Hong Kong smashes Hi-Tech pirating racket

[bonkers325]

"...Hong Kong's anti-graft agency has smashed a syndicate suspected of producing stampers for export to South America to make counterfeit VCDs, CDs and computer software. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Thursday it had arrested six people over the weekend and seized stampers worth $51 million. The four men and two women arrested have been released on ICAC bail while the investigation continues, the ICAC said.

During the operation, the ICAC seized more than 500 VCD and CD stampers, some tapes used for making stampers, digital camera tapes containing current movies being shown locally, and 25 stampers containing Microsoft software.

The London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents 1,400 record producers, had confirmed that the majority of the CD and VCD stampers were either counterfeits or infringing on copyrights. Microsoft's Hong Kong office confirmed that the 25 stampers containing Microsoft software were unauthorized and that each of them was valued at US$2 million. "Such a seizure was believed to be the largest of its kind so far," the ICAC said..."

Link

 

[BiggieN]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO............


MY IMPORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you mean i have to buy from retail now?????

 

[WoundedWallet]

That's one point for the Chinese government. I'm impressed.

 

[BiggieN]

hong kong government is actually different from the chinese government...even though it isa part of china. unless you argue that the hong kong government is comprised of chinese people...LOL

 

[Pennstate]

ICAC is like the FBI here but with broader powers. It was created by Queen Elizabeth to combat corruption in the early days of Hong Kong

 

[AndyHui]

Customs makes raids here every week or so....although they kind of quieten down in the Christmas and Chinese New Year periods.....hehehe....just get out of the shops when you see them coming in....

 

[BiggieN]

i know all about the icac...my uncle used to be a chief inspector for the HKP. he's in canada now as a lowly sergeant.

 

[WoundedWallet]

My bad. I thought that by now the government would have been assimilatated. That re-teaches me that pre-conception is not a good thing.

 

[Scrapster]

I didn't realize how big piracy was in other countries. I thought the U.S. was bad..

Scrapster

 

[BiggieN]

hahah...you haven't seen the malaysian/singapore piracy rings...makes the new york pirate factories look like a home lab.

 

[noxipoo]

its a all out bussiness over there. they counterfeit everything, including razors like mach3

 

[andylawcc]

wtf does ICAC have to do with this...

oh well, "Wild Grass Can't Be Burned, spring wind blows and lives"
chinese proverb...

meanwhile, HK privacy is nothing compare to Malay gang.. they were first to crack PS region code, and i totally expect they will do so for DVD.