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lensmanIn 27 Cities, U.S. Carries Out Raids in Software Piracy Case
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 — Federal agents carried out dozens of raids today against a far-flung network suspected of pirating billions of dollars worth of computer software — ranging from operating systems to the latest music videos and movies — over the Internet.
Agents seized computers and hard drives in at least 27 cities in 21 states in raids on businesses, university computer centers, Internet service providers and many residences. Foreign law enforcement people staged about 20 similar raids in Australia, Britain, Finland and Norway.
Treasury and Commerce department officials said more raids will be conducted in the weeks ahead. No arrests were made in the United States, partly because today's operations were aimed at gathering evidence. Some of the people implicated, aware that they could face charges of conspiracy or theft of intellectual property, are already cooperating with the authorities, department officials said.
The operation that culminated in today's raids, after a 15-month inquiry, is part of "the largest and most extensive investigation of its kind," Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner said.
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Raids were carried out today at the University of California at Los Angeles, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Duke University and the University of Oregon, officials said. They said the universities themselves, like the various companies raided today, were not involved in the wrongdoing by their employees and were cooperating in the inquiry.
More can also be seen at the Boston Globe's DigitalMass section
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 — Federal agents carried out dozens of raids today against a far-flung network suspected of pirating billions of dollars worth of computer software — ranging from operating systems to the latest music videos and movies — over the Internet.
Agents seized computers and hard drives in at least 27 cities in 21 states in raids on businesses, university computer centers, Internet service providers and many residences. Foreign law enforcement people staged about 20 similar raids in Australia, Britain, Finland and Norway.
Treasury and Commerce department officials said more raids will be conducted in the weeks ahead. No arrests were made in the United States, partly because today's operations were aimed at gathering evidence. Some of the people implicated, aware that they could face charges of conspiracy or theft of intellectual property, are already cooperating with the authorities, department officials said.
The operation that culminated in today's raids, after a 15-month inquiry, is part of "the largest and most extensive investigation of its kind," Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner said.
{snip}
Raids were carried out today at the University of California at Los Angeles, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Duke University and the University of Oregon, officials said. They said the universities themselves, like the various companies raided today, were not involved in the wrongdoing by their employees and were cooperating in the inquiry.
More can also be seen at the Boston Globe's DigitalMass section
