Prison sentences have been issued by the Chinese government for what was believed to be the largest and most profitable software piracy operation in the world.

Prison terms to each of the eleven men were issued by the Courts in Shenzhen, China, who were thought to be masterminding the counterfeit ring. It has been learnt that the operation was based out of southern China with distribution to five continents and 36 countries.

“The ring was distributing at least 19 of its products, totaling to a market value of $2bn,”according to Microsoft. Back in 2007, the syndicate was broken up by the Chinese authorities as the conclusion of a joint operation by the Chinese and American law enforcement agencies.

A role in investigation was also claimed by Microsoft. The company informed that it collected thousands of user reports and information from some 100 resellers who had provided payment information and correspondence with the piracy ring.

The sentences by the courts range from 1.5 to 6.5 years for each of the men; a record sentence for piracy infractions in China; which has been criticized by the western governments for its lenient stance on patent infringement.

Fengming Liu, vice president of the greater China region for Microsoft said, “Enforcement of intellectual property rights is critical to fostering an environment of innovation and fair competition. Thanks to the actions of the Chinese government, we have seen a significant improvement in the environment for intellectual property rights in China.”