Customs officers mounted an anti-piracy operation against four computer shops selling desktop computers with pre-installed infringed computer software, arresting six people and seizing a number of computers and software discs.

Disguised as customers, the officers ordered four desktop computers from four computer shops in Shatin and in Tuen Mun on December 22. The shops claimed that computer software could be pre-installed.

The officers yesterday collected their orders and found that the computers, valued at $12,000, had been pre-installed with infringed software.

The officers also seized from the four shops over 600 infringed computer software discs, which were believed to be used for installing infringed software to the desktop computers that customers ordered. The retail price of the genuine computer software being pre-installed is about $26,000.

Five men aged 21 to 41, and a woman, aged 32, were arrested.

Members of the public, in particular owners and staff of computer shops, are warned not to distribute copyright works, including computer software, without authorisation of the copyright owners in the course of business when selling computer equipment.

Under the Copyright Ordinance, it is an offence for a person to distribute, for the purpose of or in the course of trade or business, an infringing copy of a copyright work without the licence of the copyright owner.

The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and four year' imprisonment.

To report piracy activities, call the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.