Taiwanese cops haul in pirates

Police raided a group of software thieves in Taiwan and seized a record $74 million of pirated computer software last week.

Five people were arrested and more than 2,500 CD-Roms loaded with software published by MS, Lotus, Novell and IBM were uncovered.

Taiwan has been stepping up its efforts to crack down on software crime after the US demanded that it reform its copyright laws and improve enforcement.

The US had complained that its firms were losing millions of dollars a year due to the island's thriving piracy business.

The disks, believed to have been manufactured in Taiwan, were being traded on the streets of Taichung for as little as $26 (T$700), far less than their normal retail value.

The Taiwanese government's Investigation Bureau believes more arrests will be made, as those people who were caught were part of a gang that operates across the island.

Last month, Taiwanese officials met with Washington's de facto embassy, the unofficial American Institute, and agreed to draw up an 18-point antipiracy action plan. This was designed to guard intellectual property rights on the island and throughout Asia, through compliance, enforcement and education.