$8m illegal software haul from online auctions

Online auctions selling illegal software worth more than $8m have been detected and closed down during the first half of 2007.

Anti-software piracy body the Business Software Alliance, which represents the likes of Adobe, Apple, Microsoft and Symantec, said it has prevented more than 36,000 illegal software products with a combined retail value of around $8m being sold through online auctions.

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The BSA said this is just the "tip of the iceberg" and warned consumers to beware of auction sites selling software much cheaper than the retail price because of the danger it may contain viruses or spyware.

Microsoft has also won a court case against a company selling counterfeit products on eBay and illegally importing software to the UK.

R J Campbell and his company R J Campbell Limited, which traded as Software Price Beater, have been ordered to pay Microsoft damages and costs of approximately £35,000. The trader has also been ordered to take out an advert in a monthly trade magazine detailing the case and the ruling.

Parallel importation, one of the charges the trader admitted to, is when goods for one country are sold in another without the manufacturer's permission.

Michala Wardell, head of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK, said the company will continue to clamp down on illegal importers.

She said in a statement: "We have noticed that it's not only counterfeit trading that is a big problem, but parallel importing is also becoming a serious issue which is having a detrimental effect on the channel."