Bought a Microsoft software CD recently? Buy it from a shady looking guy in the corner? Chances are that bloke who sold you the dodgy CD got it from some very bad people. Not just happy with selling drugs the La Familia Michoacana (scary/evil/notorious Mexican drugs cartel) have diversified their portfolio, adding software counterfeiting to their list of investments.
David Finn, Microsoft’s Associate General Counsel dealing with Worldwide Anti-piracy and Anti-counterfeiting, wrote about the problem in a blog post. Why is it a big problem? Because the money you paid is most certainly headed towards the activities of the La Familia Muchacana, such as murder and kidnapping. The family are so bold that each CD comes with a sticker bearing their name, FMM.
Finn also wrote:
The group’s illegal counterfeiting activities involved a sophisticated distribution network of 180,000 points of sale in stores, markets and kiosks, earning more than $2.2 million dollars in revenue every day. It’s no wonder that enforcement agencies and governments are deeply concerned about this trend.
We can help put an end to this. Buying counterfeit software isn’t just dodgy, it’s also likely to give your computer some horrible viruses. Buy the real stuff, don’t give your hard earned cash to psychopaths, give it to the hard working people that make it.
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