back to article Orland-whoa! Chap cops to masterminding $100m Microsoft piracy racket

A Chinese national has admitted he coordinated a massive piracy ring that shifted more than $100m in bootleg Microsoft gear. Orland Liu, 37, was said to be part of an international operation that included himself and at least seven other counterfeiters and resellers in the US who knowingly shifted knock-off copies of software …

  1. Robert Moore
    Thumb Up

    Go big, or go home.

    I have to admire a crook that thinks big. From the story, his only real mistake was travelling to the US. Also since he targeted two companies I don't really like very much, I find myself sitting here smiling.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Go big, or go home.

      As much as I think that especially Microsoft software is massively overprices sh*te, I disagree.

      I care less about the big boys because they've raked in enough with the usual shady practices to maintain a monopoly, but the side effect of this business is that the small developers take a hit too, and if you small outfit you can't afford the hit on revenue. This is one of the advantages of the walled gardens of software like Apple: a dev doesn't have to worry too much about bootleg - up to you to consider if that is worth handing off 30% of your income, but it's an argument.

      It's not just the big companies who suffer from piracy.

      1. Pompous Git Silver badge
        Windows

        Re: Go big, or go home.

        "It's not just the big companies who suffer from piracy."
        Then there are the purchasers of this pirated software. Presumably this makes them pirates, too. "Honest Gov, I didn't realise that PK for two PCs of Office Pro 2010 for $AU24.99 wasn't legit!"

    2. Aodhhan

      Re: Go big, or go home.

      It's unfortunate you have tunnel vision.

      There are a lot of smaller companies who will lose a large amount of money because of this. These companies may have to lay off people or keep from hiring new individuals. Let's hope your employer or the employer of someone you care about isn't one of them.

    3. anchovylover

      Re: Go big, or go home.

      " his only real mistake was travelling to the US "

      I understand Melania feels the same. :)

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    get rich or die trying...

    let's hope his many hidden bitcoins can help heal 10 years of ass drilling trauma

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: get rich or die trying...

      "let's hope his many hidden bitcoins can help heal 10 years of ass drilling trauma"

      I find it rather sad that so many have the impression that the US prison system consists of male on male anal rape for everyone. Even sadder is the actual incidence levels of male on male anal rape in the US prison system, which, while nowhere near as prevalent as some here think (or wish for), is well above the level of every other civilised country. I wonder if said commentards are jealous?

    2. Boo Radley

      Re: get rich or die trying...

      I can speak from experience, I spent over eight years in a federal prison, and the only action I ever saw was guys sucking MY cock. Of course, I can also take care of myself, which no doubt helped keep my ass virgin.

  3. JJKing
    Linux

    Editorial correction?

    found to be carrying nearly $80m worth of stolen Microsoft product keys

    I don't think if you had every Microsoft product every produced it would not even come close to being worth $80m. That may be it's purchase price but it sure as shit isn't WORTH that much.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: Editorial correction?

      They should have been described as "with a street value of". The way the press reports drug busts.

    2. wallaby

      Re: Editorial correction?

      worth is what you put on it, if you say something is worth nothing - its worth nothing

      more than happy to pay for some things, yet other stuff that's given away I wouldn't touch with a barge pole - mainly because after sales service of worthless is just that

  4. big_D Silver badge

    Inconsistent

    The report states that he bought the licenses in China and re-sold them in the US on newly minted English language cards (sounds like grey import).

    Then authorities found $20M in unsold licenses... But Orland was arrested with $80M in stolen licenses.

    So, were the licenses bought in China or stolen in China? And surely, if Ornald was arrested with $80M in licenses, that would make either $80M in unsold licenses or $100M in unsold licenses...

    The confusion in the report makes it hard to make any sense of what happened and how much of it is truthful.

    1. Blotto Silver badge

      Re: Inconsistent

      @big_d

      i wish i could upvote you more than once.

      it grates when you read the story and come away confused as the journalist is either deliberately trying to confuse or just doesn't know enough about the subject to realise the write up is confusing. Either way for a tech site this article should be much better on the detail that counts as the vast majority of readers deal in minutia constantly and it matters.

    2. kain preacher

      Re: Inconsistent

      Sounds like both as they said some of the keys belonged to lenvo.

  5. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    Wasted opportunity

    Remove the "telemetry", cut new disks and flog them instead. They'd be worth far more than the original. Just don't sell them with the licence codes. Only legitimate Microsoft customers would then be able to use them. It would put the prosecution into a real quandary.

  6. Nimby
    Trollface

    Oh the humanity!

    Just think of all of those Chinese pirates running on insecure Windows XP copies that could have had licenses for Windows upgrades, if only Liu hadn't stolen them and sold them to the US. It's a tragedy, I tell you!

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