Raid traps Microsoft Mouse fakes

The Dutch police force took a step closer to the eradication of counterfeit Microsoft mice in Europe when it raided a warehouse last week.

In all, more than 10,000 of the fakes have been found. According to a Microsoft spokesperson, fake mice have been discovered before, but never in these quantities.

For the first time, there are clues about the origin of the fakes and about their distribution channel.

A source within Microsoft, who preferred not to be named, revealed that the mice are being manufactured outside Europe but are entering the continent via the Netherlands.

The counterfeit mice are packaged exactly like the OEM version of the Microsoft Mouse, which is sold only with a new computer. Although Microsoft said the fakes were of inferior quality, they are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

However, the logo is apparently slightly different. The first 'O' in the real Microsoft logo has a small gap, which is missing on the counterfeits.

Microsoft Benelux has asked a number of unnamed dealers to stop reselling the fake products.

The company is also threatening some dealers with legal action if they fail to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Microsoft last week added to its range of products for Office 97. At the Windows show, the company announced the availability of the tutorial product Office 97 Starts Here, reference product Office 97 at a Glance, training suite Office 97 Step-by-Step, user guide Running Microsoft Office 97 and the Office 97 resource kit.