South African police say they arrested a man and seized counterfeit computer software worth millions of dollars in the largest-ever haul of illegal computer material in the country. The businessman, a South African of Lebanese origin, was arrested after selling 20 of 372 counterfeit copies of Microsoft Corp software, including Windows 95. Microsoft and the Business Software Alliance of South Africa said it was estimated that nearly 70% of desktop application software in South Africa was illegally copied or counterfeit. They said more than $52.8m was lost in 1994 through the sale of counterfeit software and unauthorized copying of software in businesses and homes. Police said that if the businessman had sold all the counterfeit software he would have netted $719,424. He bought the fake software in Singapore but the disks had originated in China. South African police will be asking foreign police for help in the investigation but gave no other details.
