Microsoft sues eight resellers over counterfeiting
'Hurts the honest businesses'
Posted in IT Channel, 11th April 2005 11:48 GMT
Free whitepaper – Why email fails
Microsoft today filed suit against eight PC builders and resellers in the US for alleged distribution of “counterfeit, illicit and unlicensed software and software components”.
In a statement, the firm said the distribution of counterfeit software “software hurts the honest businesses that distribute legitimate software and the communities where they operate”.
Bonnie MacNaughton, senior attorney at Microsoft, said: "Our partners are coming to us and asking for our help.They are being undercut and forced out of business by having to compete with dishonest PC manufacturers and resellers who continue to sell illegitimate software. That isn't fair to our partners or to the customers who depend on them."
The lawsuits arise from Microsoft’s test purchase programme, the company says. In November 2004 it sued another eight dealers over alleged software counterfeiting.
The list of dealers sued today can be found here. ®
Related stories
UK distie sues MS for libel over $7m grey claims
Maximum sentence for SA software pirate
US software pirate jailed for 18 months
McSoftware pirate jailed for nine months
11 charged over 'biggest-ever' MS piracy bust
German MS counterfeiters sent to jail
German dealer jailed for MS packaging fraud
Software distie ordered to pay piracy damages, goes titsup
Free whitepaper – Exchange 2007 risks and mitigation strategies
Should your email live in the cloud: a comparative cost analysis
Hosted security IT manager's guide
Securing your Apache web server with a Thawte digital certificate

Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter
Former top Sun exec mourns end of a franchise
Win an HTC Touch Diamond2!