Ghanaian security forces have raided the premises of a computer firm in the capital, Accra following reports of suspected sale of counterfeit Microsoft Windows software.

About 40 pieces of suspected counterfeit Microsoft Windows software were recovered at Skynet Computers and Accessories premises on Tuesday.

Skynet has recently supplied 400 pieces of Windows 7 Professional software to a local bank.

The original source of the counterfeit software is still under investigation.

The raid was conducted after a search warrant was obtained at a Magistrates' Court in Accra.

Seye Oloruntoba, Anti-Piracy Manager, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, told the local media that his company had noticed a rising number of what turned out to be "accidental pirates" in the region.

He said in doing so, people exposed themselves to a number of risks, which in the long-run could prove costly for them and often disastrous for businesses.

"Honest resellers, who sell only genuine software, are put at an unfair disadvantage, and ultimately the whole economy feels the effects," he said.

Recent global study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) revealed that more than 70 percent of PC users in Africa acquire software illegally on a regular basis and confirmed that many consumers are unsure of what constitutes software piracy.

"We are actively working to ensure our customers and partners in Ghana are protected from unscrupulous suppliers," Oloruntoba added.

Oloruntoba noted that it was becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit software, hence consumers should be extra careful.