In an effort to “punish” those distributing illegal software, in mid-March, Microsoft filed a lawsuit against eight individuals selling counterfeit software copies online on eBay.
Microsoft submitted the lawsuit in the states of Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, and Washington, where the defendants reside. Among the eight defendants, seven are U.S. citizens and one is a company named Great Product Deals Inc.
According to Microsoft, four individuals used eBay to distribute counterfeit copies of Windows XP Professional and components of Microsoft Office.
Two other individuals and the company Great Product Deals distributed counterfeit Windows XP software components on eBay. Additionally, one other individual used eBay to distribute counterfeit versions of Office 2003 Student and Teacher Edition.
Microsoft identified seven out of the eight defendants through its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program. The WGA program was launched by the company in July 2005 to verify the legitimacy of users’ Windows versions before allowing them to download upgrades and patches. In September 2005, Microsoft filed eight lawsuits against defendants identified through the WGA program.
Microsoft also discovered several other defendants via its copyright infringement hotline 1-800-RU-LEGIT (785-3448).
During the upcoming announcement of the Windows Vista operating system, Microsoft plans to introduce a low-cost version targeting new software markets, especially in developing countries where software is predominantly pirated.
