Software pirate jailed for reseller burglary

Burglar was one of four men jailed following the discovery of £190,000 software haul by police

Wardell: Microsoft committed to driving piracy out of UK channel

A known software pirate has been jailed for his role in a string of burglaries that led to a Welsh reseller losing £190,000 worth of software.
Nicholas Wright was one of four men jailed for conspiracy to commit burglary for a series of crimes in Lampeter, Wales.
The haul was uncovered following raids by the Thames Valley Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) across the South East and Wales.
Tony Lees, detective inspector from the Thames Valley SOCU, said since the gang were put behind bars an “immeasurable and a considerable change” had been noted in the level of “serious and acquisitive” crime in the region.
Wright, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison, previously settled out of court with Microsoft in 2007 for copyright and trademark offences, amounting to £1.5m.
Michala Wardell, head of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK, said the firm is committed to “driving piracy out of the channel”.
“The channel loses out far more than Microsoft does when counterfeit goods are sold,” she said. “Microsoft is doing all it can to protect partners and we are not afraid to take action.”
A Microsoft Certified Partner, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Anything dodgy like this usually has links to something more sinister.
“The more people caught handling these products and engaged in dodgy practices, the better it is for everyone.