Customs officers have cracked Hong Kong's largest corporate piracy case, raiding an electronic watch company in Kwai Chung.

Sixteen computers installed with pirated software were seized. The software was high-priced professional graphic design programmes, such as PTC Pro/Engineer Wildfire, AutoDesk AutoCAD and Adobe Photoshop. The retail price of their genuine versions amounts to about $8 million.

Two men, aged 47 and 32, the company director and officer-in-charge of the computer section, were arrested. They have been released on $5,000 bail.

Customs has mounted 105 operations since April 2001, in which 74 companies were found to have breached the ordinance giving rise to the arrest of 141 people.

Nineteen cases have been convicted in court, the heaviest penalty being a $50,000 fine and six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

To heighten public awareness on using pirated software in conducting business and to encourage the reporting of suspected cases, Customs and the Business Software Alliance have launched a reward scheme. Suspicious activity can be reported by calling 2545 6182.