China buries "Tomato Garden" versions of Windows

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 21 Aug 2009 at 13:59

A Chinese court has jailed four people for distributing illegal versions of Windows XP, as the country signals its changing attitude towards software piracy.

Hong Lei, the creator of the Tomato Garden website which offers cracked versions of Windows XP was jailed for three and a half years by a court in Suzhou in eastern China. He'll be joined by one accomplice, who received the same prison term, while another two received two years sentences.

Analysts says Beijing has publicised the court verdict to show anxious businesses and governments, especially Washington, that it's serious about stamping out widespread piracy of copyrighted and patented products, especially films, music and software.

China's efforts to stop intellectual property theft have been weak and ineffective

Not everyone has been persuaded.

"China's efforts to stop intellectual property theft have been weak and ineffective - heavy on tough talk but light on implementation," says US Congressman Howard Berman. "Hundreds of websites provide downloads and links to pirated movies, recordings and games."

In June last year, the Business Software Alliance - a business coalition campaigning against commercial piracy - complained to Chinese authorities, and Hong and his colleagues were arrested later in the year.

The report did not say whether they intended to appeal.

Microsoft was jubilant about the prosecution: "The judgement declares the collapse of China's biggest online software piracy group. It is a milestone in the fight against online software piracy in China.”