SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it has
unleashed a series of lawsuits and is cooperating in criminal prosecutions
worldwide in an effort to stem piracy of its software.
All told, Microsoft said it has launched some 300
“enforcement actions,” which include civil suits and raids in about
70 countries worldwide. The company also is drawing attention to the
“forensic labs” in nine cities, designed to detect counterfeit
software.
Microsoft’s Windows software dominates the global market for
personal computer operating systems, providing a solid anchor for the company’s
other offerings, such as the Office suite of word processing, spreadsheet and
other tools.
But rampant piracy has periodically taken a significant bite
out the company’s quarterly results.
Microsoft said Thursday that the crackdown includes raids by
China’s Copyright Administration against 12 companies there charged with
counterfeiting software, and the filing of a lawsuit against a local
“system builder for hard-disk loading piracy.”
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said it also filed
four civil legal actions in India, coupled with four “criminal market
sweeps.”
Pirated copies of Microsoft’s latest iteration of Windows,
Windows 7, can be purchased on the black market in India for as little as $1,
according to recent media reports. Windows 7 was released in October, and
Microsoft is counting on it to help burnish its image following a relatively
poor reception for its predecessor, Windows Vista.
While a relatively small percentage of Microsoft’s sales
occur in developing markets such as China and India, the company is looking to
them to provide future growth.
Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
