Illegal Software Seized in Raid at Computer Fair

Federal marshals, acting on behalf of Adobe Systems Inc., seized millions of dollars worth of illegal copies of software products at a computer swap meet in Pomona on Saturday, company officials said.

The raid targeted seven vendors at the show, all Southern California-based companies accused by San Jose-based Adobe in a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in L.A. of selling pirated copies of its popular desktop publishing and graphics software.

Adobe also has sued the event’s organizer, National Productions of Morgan Hill, Calif., accusing the company of failing to take steps to prevent the illegal sales. The suit was filed last week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Executives at National Productions said they were surprised by the suit and would have cooperated with Adobe if asked.

“They have never contacted us,” said Bob Kushner, president of National Productions, which operates dozens of computer fairs each year in Reseda, Buena Park and Santa Barbara. “There’s no way we can police what 350 companies at our show are selling every week.”

The Computer Fair in Pomona typically attracts about 15,000 people, Kushner said, and is one of the company’s most popular shows in Southern California.

Adobe investigators early Saturday made their way through the fair, checking merchandise and compiling a list of vendors.

Several hours later, federal marshals accompanying the Adobe investigators seized the software.

Scott Oliver, an attorney who represents Adobe in the suits, said the company had been investigating the vendors for months.