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Novell Takes Down 'Genesis' Bulletin Board Further Raids on Illegal Boards Imminent May 28, 1996 -- The Novell Anti-Piracy Group closed down Belgium's largest illegal Bulletin Board System (BBS) last week. The BBS, codenamed 'GENESIS', was run by Jean Louis Piret from offices in Brussels. A settlement has resulted in the confiscation of $35,000 of computer hardware and a punitive six figure sum in damages. Novell Technical Investigators working under cover identified the Genesis BBS. Novell then obtained a search order from the Belgium courts which was executed on Wednesday 22nd May 1996. The raid identified that Piret had computer equipment capable of storing over 13 gigabytes of information. Piret himself estimated that he had in excess of 40,000 software programs stored. These programs were made available to the outside world via 10 telephone lines and could be accessed by customers from all over the world. Martin Smith, licensing manager, Novell Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) comments: "Piret had NetWare files on his system which were valued at $66,580. These files were available to be downloaded by over 6,000 of his customers. "Bulletin Boards such as GENESIS deprive the software industry of millions of dollars every year. Not only do software publishers suffer, but so do the distributors, resellers and dealers who depend on legitimate software sales for their livelihood." Warning that further raids on illegal boards are imminent, Smith says: "The message to all operators of illegal Bulletin Board Systems in Europe is clear - if you have Novell products on your BBS you are a target for prosecution." Novell is the world's leading network software provider. Novell software provides the infrastructure for a networked world, enabling its customers to connect with other people and the information they need, anytime and anyplace. Novell partners with other technology and market leaders to help customers make networks a part of their everyday lives.
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