Cyberspace pirates roamed net to rob firms of millions.

Byline: BY SHENAI RAIF Daily Post Correspondent

TWO computer pirates who saw themselves as 'latter-day Robin Hoods', were yesterday found guilty of being part of a multi-million pound fraud.

Merseysider Steven Dowd and Alex Bell, from Essex, were part of world-wide computer group DrinkorDie.

They saw themselves as stealing from rich companies to give to the poor by cloning software programmes and putting them on the internet.

But, in reality, it was a cover for fraud in the multi-million pound world of computer technology, said Bruce Houlder QC, prosecuting.

Dowd, 39, of Sandpiper Close, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, and City bank worker Bell, 29, of Chafford Hundred, Essex, were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud between 1997 and 2001, following a five-month trial.

Mr Houlder told the court: 'This is a ground-breaking prosecution. It is the first prosecution for software piracy on this scale conducted in this country.'

Old Bailey Judge Paul Focke commended officers from the police National High Tech Crime Unit for their work 'into new territory' and said the documentation needed to bring the case was 'staggering'.

He remanded the men on bail to May 5 for sentencing with two other men who pleaded guilty to the offence last year.

Outside court, DC Kevin Brownless said: 'It was computer anarchy. The cost to companies is immeasurable.'

Mr Houlder said the men were part of the UK end of DrinkorDie.

A number of members of the group in Britain and the US had pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.

It involved 'cracking' the protection on software programmes, utilities and games to enable them to be copied and downloaded.

It was aimed at defrauding the legitimate copyright owners who had spent millions developing the products. International companies such as Microsoft, as well as small companies, had fallen victim to the scam.

Some programmes had been stolen using insider help, before they were available commercially, he said.

Mr Houlder said hundreds of CDs and CD ROMs had been found at the homes of Bell and Dowd.

Dowd's home was a 'treasure house' of expensive 'cracked' software products. He described his collection as his 'hobby'.

He had caught the 'computer bug' after being admitted to hospital for a neck injury and other medical problems, he told police.

Mr Houlder said Dowd and Bell were not in it for money but lived their lives through computer virtual reality and cyberspace.

'They do not do what they do for money,' he said. 'They do it for streetwise credibility' Their lives might seem rather sad, living most of their days, and sometimes their nights, in a virtual world.

'They might not be making money for themselves but they do immense harm and lose money for others.

'They see themselves as internet heroes. There is immense rivalry with other groups doing the same.'

Computer pirates justified themselves by saying they were in competition with others - the more sophisticated and expensive the product, the more credibility they gained, he went on.

DrinkorDie had a reputation for cracking complex and expensive programmes.

Mr Houlder said: 'They may see themselves as latter-day Robin Hoods, stealing from the rich to give to the poor, but in reality it is a cover for fraud.

'Computers are their universe. They live and breathe a world of computer software.

'Their lives evolve in cyberspace.

'They never see their friends on the internet

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Steven Dowd