Microsoft says it has filed a lawsuit against Shanghai Gome Electronics and Beijing Chaowai Yuexiu Computer Mart for copyright infringement and is demanding compensation for revenue losses.
In an announcement last Friday, the software vendor said it had evidence that pirated versions of its Windows and Office products were installed in computers sold in Shanghai Gome Electronics' shop in Luwan, as well as in computers sold by Beijing Hongguang Century Trading and Beijing Zhuoyue Elements Trading--both of which are computer dealers operating in the retail space owned by Beijing Chaowai Yuexiu Computer Mart. Beijing Chaowai was named in the suit over poor supervision or negligence in management.
The lawsuits were filed in Shanghai Huangpu District People's Court and Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, Microsoft said, adding that it initiated the move to protect intellectual property rights (IPR), fair competition and consumer rights.
"Not only does selling computers preinstalled with unauthorized software severely infringe the intellectual property rights of the software oblige, causing unfair competition for dealers whose computers are preinstalled with authorized versions of the software, it has also supplied consumers with pirated software with great security concerns at the same time," said Yu Weidong, Microsoft China's IPR general manager. "This lawsuit is to once again remind computer dealers and retail spaces to respect intellectual property rights, uphold credibility, operate legally, compete fairly, and be responsible to the consumers."
"We are willing to put in all our efforts to build a market economic order based on fairness, credibility, respect and encouragement of innovation. We believe that is the right path for the health and sustainable development of the entire economy and even the entire society," Yu added.
The Chinese government has invested efforts in fighting copyright infringements, with police authorities cracking down on illegal activities such as producing and selling pirated software as well as disseminating these software over the Internet.
To date, the police department had supervised and handled three criminal cases involving the dissemination of pirated versions of Microsoft software by Shanghai Ruichuang Internet Technology, Hubei Ouyou Internet Technology and Guangdong Zhuzhumao.
Found guilty of possessing more than 600,000 yuan (US$95,134) of illegal software,Hubei Ouyou in late-November was fined 800,000 yuan (US$126,845) and four employees sentenced to imprisonment, each receiving a fine of up to 720,000 yuan (US$114,161).
(Source: ZDnet)
