Microsoft Protects Customers Against Piracy

As part of Microsoft's Genuine Software Advantage Initiative, the Redmond Company has filed 26 copyright infringement lawsuits in the United States against alleged dealers of pirated software, one of which, a reseller in Georgia has been already indicted on federal criminal charges. The software giant alleges that the companies implicated in the lawsuits are guilty of intellectual property theft and of hard-disk loading, by installing unlicensed applications on the machines they were selling.

"The filing of these 26 cases demonstrates another step forward in Microsoft's robust effort to protect consumers, business partners and its own intellectual property from the pandemic of pirated and counterfeit software in the marketplace. The initiative focuses the company's multiple activities and investments directed at fighting software counterfeiting and other forms of software piracy into a single initiative with increased investments across three strategic areas: education, engineering and enforcement," stated Microsoft in a press release.

"Our message should be made very clear by today's lawsuits," said Mary Jo Schrade, senior attorney at Microsoft. "To our honest partners, and to consumers who expect and should receive genuine Microsoft software wherever they go to buy it, we are listening and we are investing a tremendous amount of resources to help you. We are committed to finding the unscrupulous dealers of pirated software and making piracy a business model that doesn't work."

Microsoft representatives explained that often the consumer is lured by pirated software because of the price in his own detriment, but also in the detriment of honest resellers and that of the development companies.