Seizures last week include a large number of pirated CDs in Nigeria… Other pirated CDs and DVDs were seized in a number of raids in the UK, Ireland and the US.

Cases and outcomes reported last week include Microsoft Corp filing 52 lawsuits in 22 countries against people who were allegedly selling counterfeit Microsoft software online… A Canadian man has been fined and jailed for a year after selling counterfeit light bulbs, which exploded after minimal use, to a school… Last week the Software Information Industry Association (SIIA) filed a lawsuit against law firm Fox Rothschild for allegedly being involved in the “unauthorised reproduction and use” of software… A UK based company has been fined for selling counterfeit luxury clothing… A Canadian man has been fined $25,000 for pirating video games and selling them in his store.

Policy developments last week include new legislation in Bahrain which imposes life imprisonment for dealers and sellers of fake goods that lead to someone’s death… Japan Tobacco International has agreed to pay EU governments $400 million over 15 years to combat the sale of counterfeit cigarettes… The European commission is considering a new set of measures that could prevent internet access for users of illegal file-sharing software.

Studies and reports out last week include one from the UN which discovered significant ties between the trade in counterfeit goods and organised crime. The most well-known criminal organisations found involved in counterfeiting include the Chinese triads, the Japanese Yakuza, the Neapolitan Camorra and the Russian Mafia.