What started at the World of Games gaming show of 2006 in Moscow, Russia, with a vivid display of counterfeit Novomatic gaming machines being crushed by a Caterpillar, and continued last year in Bucharest, Romania, has become an international crusade against copying piracy led by the Austrian Novomatic gaming group, with concrete results in Russia.
“Product piracy and copyright infringement are prevalent at the international trade shows of the gaming industry, especially in eastern Europe,” said the company in a statement. “All major OEMs are increasingly and adversely afflicted by the problem. Product piracy and the infringement of intellectual property rights have never before been practiced so impertinently and publicly as in recent times.
“Counterfeit machines are often publicly presented on neighbouring exhibition stands right beside the original product, component parts and cabinets offered on diverse websites and the game software and concepts either stolen or badly copied.”
Two years ago, Novomatic started a unique campaign against this international piracy and this policy has indeed brought clear results. The latest success in the prosecution of copyright infringement was achieved in close cooperation between Novomatic, international law firms and local police authorities.
In spring 2008, the operator of a factory in the Russian capital Moscow who had specialised in the manufacture of counterfeit Gaminator gaming machines was convicted. Forged components were acquired from various sources, assembled, the machines tagged with fake documents and serial plates and sold to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic countries and former Yugoslavia.
*Read more in the November edition of InterGaming.
