Microsoft nets $1.3m in piracy ruling
Microsoft nets $1.3m in piracy ruling
Nov 4, 2005: It's not all that often these days you see Microsoft in the news receiving compensation in court, but that is exactly what has happened this week in Sydney.
PC Club Australia, have been ordered by the Australian Federal Court to pay approximately $1.3m in damages and costs to Microsoft for copyright and trademark infringements and breeches of the trade practises act.
Operating in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes, PC Club was found to be selling high volumes of pirated and illegal software as well as counterfeit Certificate of Authenticity labels. Microsoft took action against PC Club after a raid on its premises discovered the illegal software.
During the case the company denied any wrongdoing, arguing that they believed it was legitimate for system builders to license copies of Microsoft software by simply distributing the copied software with a loose COA. The court roundly rejected this argument.
"Piracy is a major problem internationally, costing the global software industry billions of dollars a year and thousands of jobs," said Vanessa Hutley, senior corporate attorney for Microsoft Australia. "In Australia, there are many small and medium size businesses that legitimately make a living by selling genuine software. When software pirates try to get around the system, they not only disadvantage the consumer, but also genuine Australian small businesses."
Ms Hutley said the case was part of an ongoing commitment by Microsoft Australia to combat software piracy and ensure Microsoft's business partners and customers are protected from the negative effects of dishonest resellers.
Related Article: