Software giant Microsoft claims that more than 90 per cent of piracy of its products disappeared with the arrest of one man in 2004.

Taiwanese Huang Jer-sheng, the owner of Taiwan-based software distributor Maximus Technology, was arrested in 2004. He was later sentenced to four years in jail. In a statement Microsoft claimed that Huang and his associates were responsible for the "production and distribution of more than 90 percent of the high-quality counterfeit Microsoft software products, either seized by law enforcement or test-purchased around the world".

Microsoft named two CD replication plants in Taiwan (Chungtek Hightech Enterprise and Cinway Technology) as the main producers of CDs for the piracy ring. Counterfeiters in southern China were also involved.The piracy was difficult to detect, as even holographic labels were duplicated and the finished products with their professionally made packaging, laser labels, warranty cards and instruction manuals made them impossible for consumers to question their authenticity.