SINGAPORE: Police have seized more than 300 high-end counterfeit
copies of Microsoft software worth about S$65,000 from three retail
outlets in Sim Lim Square. The software included Microsoft Windows
XP Professional and Windows Vista.
The counterfeit copies were identical to the originals, making it
almost impossible to tell the difference.
More than 50 copies of infringing ‘Certificates of Authority’
(COA), which were not attached to the software, were also
seized.
A COA is a label issued by the manufacturer to help the user
determine whether the software is genuine. The COA should not be
sold independently of the software.
The products are believed to have been imported from China.
The latest raids, which were initiated by Microsoft after 11 months
of investigations, were carried out by the police on
Thursday.
Microsoft had received complaints from consumers about their
products which were not working properly. So the company conducted
surveys and found that some dealers had been selling Microsoft
products at a 10 per cent discount.
Users can log on to www.howtotell.com to find out if their
Microsoft software is genuine. Microsoft has also come up with a
new sticker.
Jonathan Selvasegaram, Corporate Attorney, Microsoft SE Asia, said:
"We have introduced an orange sticker which says 'Genuine Microsoft
Software' and that will be a quick indication, assuming customers
are looking out for software.
"The sticker will be on the packaging. Customers can also go to our
Microsoft website to validate their software." - CNA/vm
