By Will Sturgeon, 17 May 2006 15:50
NEWS
Two of the world's largest antivirus software vendors are launching legal action against a group of software pirates selling illegal versions of well-known security software on eBay, as part of a major crackdown on software fraud on the auction site.
The trade in illegal software on eBay is a booming industry and one the auction site has been reluctant to address, saying it is the role of the vendors to protect their intellectual property.
Now McAfee and Symantec have decided to get tough on the pirates, throwing their considerable weight behind a Software and Information Industry Association (Siaa) campaign to clean up eBay. The Siaa is planning to ensnare criminals by buying software from eBay and suing those whose products turn out to be illegal.
The initiative was kicked off with the announcement of legal proceedings against five US-based individuals who face claims for damages as well as court orders restricting them from committing their alleged crimes in the future. The five men are accused of selling 15,000 items of pirated software during the last three months of 2005.
A quick surf around eBay today by silicon.com uncovered dozens of sales offering software from Symantec's Norton range as well as McAfee products. Many appeared far from legitimate with some lots consisting of nothing more than a CD, with sellers admitting boxes and manuals - as well as licences, no doubt - will not be forthcoming.
A spokesman for McAfee said: "McAfee takes the sale and distribution of pirated software extremely seriously. We proactively take all measures possible to shut down all auctions where it is obvious that illegal or grey imports of our products are being sold on eBay or indeed any auction site."
A major problem for consumers using illegal security software is that they may not be as well protected as they think. For companies the problem is more obviously to do with lost revenue and damage to their brand.
John Thompson, CEO of Symantec, last month told silicon.com: "The Norton brand is the BMW of the security world."
As such, he said, the company has no plans to offer a low-cost version and likewise will fight to maintain its reputation.
Comments
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1. Billy bob junior
Forget ebay! They should check out QXL. The entire site is full of illegal software.
2. anonymous
To my mind, the AV software companies are making a lot of money on the backs of criminals..
If people did not write malicious software, then there would be no reason to have software to combat it.
It is therefore in the best interests of AV companies for viruses to be in existence. No viruses, no AV software, no profit..
Makes you wonder who is writing the viruses in the first place, or who is paying who to write them and keep them in existence
I think ALL software designed to combat malicious attacks should be free to the customer. It is not the users fault when they get infected. Most antispyware is free, most firewalls are free, so why not AV software.
It then follows that, if free, nobody needs to copy it, so the pirating of such would disappear.
3. Tim Haines
Fraud and misrepresentation is rife in all areas of eBay, who hide behind their mantra of "We are only a venue!".
Buying and selling on eBay used to be fun and profitable, but competing with the den of thieves which it has become is becoming increasingly tedious. It has reached the point that when I tell people I am an eBay powerseller, they simply assume I am a crook.
In some areas of the site (antiquities) as many as 90% of the listed auctions are fraudulent.
4. Richard Davies
The Norton brand is more the Ford of the Security world if you ask me.
I personally think that Norton slows your machine down too much and is one of those products that tries to really integrate itself into your system in a way that you just don't want.
Its good though that they are chasing these software pirates because as a result, costs may come down in general for legitimate software purchases (although probably not!).
5. anonymous
"The Norton brand is the BMW of the security world"
As such no one in their right mind would use it!
6. Michael Jenner
I don't understand how eBay is able to get away with hosting adverts for goods that are clearly illiegal copies or stolen. From personal experience I know that they track and warn consumers of potentially counterfeit goods, but do nothing to block the posting of adverts or purchase of these products. I will not use eBay as a matter of principal as a result, as I do not see how they are different from any other organisation that encourages criminal activity