"It's hard to survive," said Ken (pseudonym), a 34-year-old man who has been selling pirated CDs for many years. According to East Day News online (https://china.eastday.com), the Macao government has actively combated the illegal piracy businesses. For the past five years, the number of shops has substantially decreased by 90 percent.

To counter piracy in a more effective way, Direccao dos Servicos de Economia (DSE) has even allied with the Fire Service Bureau (FSB), and Public Security Police Force (PSPF) to create a better communication system with each other so as to increase the speed and effectiveness when a wanted circular is issued. As many piracy dealers have gone underground, more coordinated efforts among government departments are necessary. It is reported that pirated CDs are mostly stored in apartments, not in shops; when a customer makes an order, he/she would be asked to come back to get them next day.

Due to the government's consistent anti-piracy efforts, only a few of these shops remain today. Ken deals exclusively with PC games in his small shop inside a big commercial centre. He opens his shop at 4 pm everyday as it is the time when schools close and students will usually drop by to take a look. "He sells each disc for $50. It's almost 4 times cheaper than official prices," explains Kerry, 18, a high school student who is fanatic of PC games.

According to Macau Law, Decreto-Lei no. 17/98/M article 14, any person who violates the intellectual property law will be punished with a fine of up to MOP200,000.

However, in Hong Kong, anyone who has violated the intellectual property law such as cloning registered CDs, can be penalized for up to HK$1,000,000.00 and imprisoned for four years. "I know it is risky, but there is still a demand on the market," Ken said.