Bulgarian anti-mafia squad busts Sofia digital electronics company for illegal software use
Bulgaria’s General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime raided a Sofia company in a special operation targeting criminal activities connected to illegal use of business software products and specialist computer programmes, the Interior Ministry said on October 5 2012.
According to the ministry, the company deals with the development of professional and semi-professional multimedia player-recorders, design, production and marketing of innovative digital audio equipment for the music and film industry.
Authorities confiscated 24 computer system with unlicensed software products, including Corel Draw, Windows Server, Microsoft Office Pro, Adobe Acrobat Distiler, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Photoshop Adobe, Auto CAD, Office Basic, Nero 6, Win Rar, and others, as well as Solid works 2012 software, which costs about 10 000 euro.
According to experts, the harm caused by the companies, members of the Bulgarian Association of Business Software Companies, is estimated at more than 150 000 leva (about 75 000 euro), the ministry said.
The investigation revealed that the company had established a broad network of distributors on the territory of Bulgaria and used to advertise its activity through foreign websites available throughout Europe.
The ministry said that its actions against software piracy in Bulgaria had cut the activity by more than 40 per cent in the past 12 years.
