A raid in Scotland has prompted fears that thieves who previously stole large quantities of computer chips may now be turning their attentions to computer software.

Police have revealed that thieves attacked a plant in East Kilbride, one of only eight centres in Britain authorised by Microsoft to reproduce its programmes.

The raiders, who tied up two security guards at the Thompson Litho factory on the Kelvin industrial estate, are believed to have escaped with nearly �10m worth of software.

The titles stolen included copies of Microsoft's Office 97 software suite and copies of Encarta, the company's best-selling home encyclopedia.

Also stolen were more than 200,000 Microsoft "certificates of authenticity" which contain unique indentification numbers and are embossed with a hologram to make forgery difficult.

The certificates are supplied with all legal copies of Microsoft software and the company fears the raiders will use the certificates to make pirated copies of their CD-Rom software appear legal.

Overcapacity

Crime involving computers and peripherals is not new. Criminals have previously targeted hardware and, in particular, memory chips.

However, worldwide overcapacity has led to prices for memory falling sharply unlike computer software prices which have remained stable. This has caused a flurry of software piracy in some markets, particulary in eastern Europe and parts of Asia.

Piracy is a huge problem for the software industry and thousands of pounds are spent each year prosecuting those involved in the counterfeit trade.

Microsoft's anti-piracy manager, David Gregory, said: "Software theft is an increasingly serious issue involving well organised criminal gangs.

"Software theft defrauds the customer, who ends up with counterfeit or stolen goods which are not what they claim to be."

The company set up a special telephone hotline - 0345 002 000, ext 999 - and asked anyone with suspicions about software they had been offered, to call.

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