Stolen software sparks concern

Microsoft distributor VIP Computer Centre has warned resellers to be on their guard following the theft of a shipment of software bound for its warehouse in Warrington.
VIP said it is working closely with Microsoft, its insurers and the police to recover the software, which was stolen in Essex on 14 January.

The distributor lost just over 4,000 units of Microsoft OEM software through the hit, but said other traders had also been affected.

Mark Lynch, Microsoft product manager at VIP, said: “So far it has all been kept quiet, but we now want to get the word out to our partners. We expect other firms affected, including Microsoft, to follow suit.

“Some of the other stock was retrieved after a week. We don’t expect our stock to be retrieved because it has been three weeks, although the police are looking into it.”

VIP is advising resellers to buy only from authorised Microsoft distributors and has stressed that the licence keys of all the stolen software have been de-activated by Microsoft, making the stock worthless.

Paul Sweeney, managing director of Microsoft partner ANS, said: “I’ve heard of lorries being pulled over for kit and physical hardware, but not software, which has to be registered. “It is possible [the perpetrators] made a mistake, because licences will not be a lot of use to them. Something like an HP server would be more valuable on the black market.”

Victor Aberdeen, sales manager at Microsoft distributor Blue Solutions, said: “Resellers should always validate the company they are buying from and only buy from authorised Microsoft distributors that buy direct from Microsoft.”