Microsoft Cracks Down on Piracy

Microsoft has a message for software pirates: No more Mr. Nice Guy. The world's largest software company, which has seen its image soften in recent years following the landmark antitrust case with the U.S. government and alliances with former foes such as Sun Microsystems, is now back on the offensive with the issue of unlicensed software. Microsoft filed eight lawsuits against systems builders and resellers in seven states for alleged distribution of counterfeit, illicit and unlicensed software products and components.

"Our partners are coming to us and asking for our help," said Bonnie MacNaughton, senior attorney at Microsoft, in a prepared statement. "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."

According to Microsoft, the lawsuits are a result of the company's ongoing test purchase program, which began in 1997 and ensures that its products are being distributed lawfully. Under the program, Microsoft said it bought software, computer systems and software components from solution providers and white-box makers and tested them for authenticity. Generally, the software maker sends cease-and-desist letters to offending resellers; however, it isn't known whether Microsoft did so with the defendants in the current lawsuits.

The VARs and systems builders named in the current lawsuits include Avantek of Florida, M&S Computer Products of New Jersey, Micro Excell of Alabama, Signature PC of Rhode Island, First E-Commerce of Texas, Odyssey Computers of Maryland, and Abacus Computer and Technology One of California. What's more, Microsoft announced another set of lawsuits against five resellers in Canada for alleged distribution of unlicensed software.