Four Arrested In Software Piracy RaidsFour Arrested In Software Piracy Raids

The U.S. Customs Service said Wednesday that it executed 37 search warrants in 27 U.S. cities as part of the largest investigation into software piracy. The raids led to four arrests and the seizure of more than 100 computer systems.

According to the Customs Service, "Operation Buccaneer" targeted 62 suspects involved in the multibillion-dollar software piracy problem. The raids were coordinated with law enforcement agencies in Austria, Finland, England, and Norway.

Customs officials estimate that the Warez community, a group of software piracy conspirators, is responsible for 90% of the pirated commercial software that is offered online. The raids mark the first phase of Operation Buccaneer and targeted a group of alleged software thieves known as DrinkOrDie, who are part of the Warez community. The warrants were used to search companies, schools, and homes around the country. According to federal law enforcement officials, piracy groups include college students, corporate executives, network administrators, government workers, and employees at large-scale tech firms.

The Business Software Alliance estimates that one in three business applications in use in 1999 were illegal copies, costing software vendors more than $12 billion worldwide.