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Yesterday a Chinese businessman pleaded guilty to selling pirated software—used by defense, space technology and engineering businesses—worth a retail value of over £60 million.
A plethora of sophisticated software was stolen from an estimated 200 American manufacturers and sold onto 325 black market buyers in 61 countries between 2008 and 2011, according to Reuters. Software made by the likes of Microsoft, Oracle, Rockwell Automation, Agilent Technologies and Siemens was sold on for between £14 and £800. Some of the software, however, officially retailed for more than £600,000 apiece.
According to Reuters the businessman, Xiang Li, of Chengdu, China, trolled black market internet forums to find the software, then advertised it on his website. US agents spent 18 months working undercover in order to finally catch Li, eventually buying software worth £100,000 off him for just a couple of thousand dollars. He was finally lured to the US territory of Saipan from China, under the premise of discussing a dodgy joint business venture. Whoops. [Reuters]
Image via Shutterstock/John David Bigi III
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Does anyone on here proof read their articles? I’m sure every one I have ever read on here has had at least one spelling or grammar mistake…
*hides from the grammar police*
Biggest question, what the hell piece of software costs 600,000 and where do I buy it?
It is probably bespoke software. Companies or in this case the military, commissioned a piece of software tailored exactly to their needs. It isn’t just a piece of general purpose software such as Word which Microsoft makes of their own accord and then sells it to the masses. Instead, one entity hires a development company to make a piece of software just for them.
you’re probably right, but it could be the UK government getting screwed again because their procurement services are so shoddy
Photoshop CS6