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Cops BUST RING, CUFF BLOKES in Skegness RAID

Pledge to rid Blighty of dodgy software SCOURGE

Microsoft and Adobe can rest easily in their beds tonight after the quack crack squad at the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit nabbed two men flogging dodgy software from their secret lair in Skegness.

Specialist fuzz from the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) along with detectives from the Lincolnshire force cuffed the piracy underlords on suspicion of peddling fake computer software discs online.

The home of the two men, aged 48 and 45, was raided, and the allegedly counterfeit wares, documentation and computer equipment were seized as the men were taken in for questioning.

The fake stuff carried the Microsoft and Adobe brands, and was sold from a dedicated website, claims PIPCU.

“Yesterday’s operation demonstrates we are dedicated to combating IP crime and protecting legitimate UK businesses and consumers,” said a triumphant Danny Medlycott, newly appointed head of PIPCU.

PIPCU was set up a year ago to unsettle the trade in counterfeit gear.

Never an organisation to miss out on a PR opportunity, the Federation Against Software Theft's general counsel Julian Heathcote-Hobbins said it is vital that the “genuine software reseller can compete on a level playing field”.

Presumably Mr H-H is referring to the pirates rather than direct competition from either Microsoft or Adobe, both of which have had a good stab at taking on their channel partners with direct sales operations.

It is also likely that FAST’s legal man is not referring to the discount software brokers it is booting out of its ranks over suspected copyright infringement who are claiming to have been unfairly treated.

“The future prosperity of computing is paramount especially considering the rise of cloud computing and the need to keep such environments (sic) cyber-crime free,” he continued.

El Chan is not sure if the arrest of the two men, who have yet to be charged, will break the backbone of software piracy in the UK: but we could have a pretty good guess. ®

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