XN000022-1989-07-05 — Page 49

47

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1989

COUNTERFEIT MANUALS, DISKETTES DESTROYED

THE TRADING STANDARDS INVESTIGATION BUREAU OF THE

DESTROYED AT THE LAI CHI KOK EXCISE DEPARTMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY)

COMPUTER COUNTERFEIT

MANUALS AND INCINERATOR ABOUT 160,000 COUNTERFEIT DISKETTES,

CUSTOMS

AND

53,000

IN

THESE MANUALS AND DISKETTES WERE SEIZED FROM COMPUTER SHOPS

AND RELATED PRINTING AND THE GOLDEN SHOPPING ARCADE, SHAM SHUI PO,

JULY LAST YEAR BINDING FACTORIES IN A SERIES OF MAJOR RAIDS MADE IN IN AN OPERATION CODE-NAMED "OPERATION JULY",

THEY WERE CONFISCATED FOR SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN SHOPS AND FACTORIES CONCERNED.

DESTRUCTION BY COURT ORDER AFTER OUT AGAINST THE OWNERS OF THE

"OPERATION JULY'

WAS INITIATED

BY

THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE HONG KONG AS A COMPANIES BASED IN THE

DEPARTMENT TO ERADICATE COMPUTER SOFTWARE PIRACY IN

BY SEVERAL COMPUTER RESULT OF COMPLAINTS

UNITED STATES.

IN THE

OPERATION,

OVER

20

SHOPS COMPUTER

IN

THE

GOLDEN

SHOPPING ARCADE AND FOUR FACTORIES WERE SEARCHED.

CUSTOMS OFFICERS ALSO

FORCED

OPEN SEVEN

SHOPS AND STORAGE

PLACES TO SEIZE COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS.

THEY ARRESTED 40 PERSONS AND

COUNTERFEIT SEIZED

MANUALS AND

DISKETTES WORTH $15 MILLION.

PROSECUTED,

MANUALS

AND SHOP OWNER AND

WERE

A TOTAL OF 24 SHOP AND CONVICTED. FINES TOTALLING $393,250 WERE IMPOSED, AND ONE

WAS

OWNERS FACTORY

IMPRISONMENT.

TO 10 MONTHS SENTENCED DISKETTES WERE FORFEITED.

ALL THE

STANDARDS TRADING

INVESTIGATION

MR BUREAU,

THE ONCE IN THE

THE HEAD OF THE

THE

EFFECTIVELY CONTAINED HAD OPERATION JOHN LAM, SAID WIDESPREAD UNLAWFUL SALE OF COUNTERFEIT MANUALS AND DISKETTES SHOPPING ARCADE.

ILLEGAL SUPPLY BUT IT HAS BEEN "THERE MIGHT STILL BE SOME

DEPARTMENT 13 TAKING DRIVEN UNDERGROUND, AND THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT MEASURES TO PREVENT THE ARCADE FROM FALLING

" HE SAID. INTO AN ILLEGAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING CENTRE,

MR

LAM

WARNED

THAT

PEOPLE

ENGAGED

IN

BACK

ANY SUCH ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES WOULD BE LIABLE TO PROSECUTION, AND FACE A HEAVY PENALTY.

/LAST MONTH ..................