AfterDawn: News

Pirated software distributors get jail time in China

A Chinese court has sentenced four pirates to jailtime and given the site a 11 million yuan ($1.6 million USD) fine for their part in distributing pirated software, including Windows XP and Office.

The BSA applauded the decision, calling it the first successful large scale online piracy conviction in the nation.



Hong Lei and Sun Xiansheng, who ran the website, received three and a half years each, as well as 1 million yuan ($146,000) fines. Two other pirates received two year prison sentences as well as 100,000 yuan ($14,600) fines.

The largest fine however, was given to the Chengdu Share Software Net Co., which ran the pirate's site. The company was fined 8.7 million yuan ($1.3 million) and had 3 million yuan ($439,000) of its revenue taken in forfeiture.

Over 10 million people downloaded software from the site in its few years of operation.

"The verdict of this case represents the end of China's largest online software piracy syndicate and marks a milestone in China's efforts to crack down on Internet piracy," added the BSA.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 Aug 2009 16:47

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• 6 comments

• domie

  This happened in China ? OK , 1 down only 1,999,999 to go !!!!

  21.8.2009 18:11 #1

• Tristan_2

  Originally posted by domie: This happened in China ? OK , 1 down only 1,999,999 to go !!!!Technically its five pirates this weak, besides this kind of piracy I find bad but atleast these pirates are being costed more then the first one for selling Adobe photoshop for 10 bucks and only had to pay over 2000 thousand or so. I'm glad these pirates get more then the first and up close to Jamie Thomas cost which hers is really harmless really unlike these five pirates this weak getting caught..

  21.8.2009 20:54 #2

• DXR88

  China is BSA.

  21.8.2009 21:29 #3

• TBandit

  lmao really i heard that's where the most piracy goes on. You could walk down the street and buy movies that aren't in theaters yet.

  21.8.2009 21:43 #4

• scorpNZ

  They ballz'd up by not paying bribes or tax on the earnings

  21.8.2009 22:37 #5

• KillerBug

  Serves them right...how dare they distribute such terrible software. Everyone who distributes Microsoft products should be jailed & fined. I guess the piracy thing is bad too...

  22.8.2009 05:59 #6