Teacher cleared of MS ‘piracy’
p2pnet.net news:- Despite a personal appeal from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Microsoft boss Bill(ionaire) Gates wasn’t interested in helping out Alexander Ponosov, a Russian school teacher accused of criminally using Microsoft applications.
But never mind because a Russian court has thrown the case out, calling it “trivial,” says the BBC.
The trial was seen as a response by the authorities to international pressure to crack down on piracy in Russia, says the story.
For “international pressure” read the US entertainment and software cartels fronted, largely, by Hollywood’s MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), the Big 4 Organized Music cartel’s RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and the BSA (Business Software Alliance), with companies such as Microsoft behind it.
The groups are using the US Trade Office to try to force countries such as Russia and China and, more recently, Canada into adopting vested interest copyright policies designed to increase the corporate grip on world markets.
Ponosov earlier told the BBC 12 new computers at his school had been delivered with the unlicensed software already installed, it says, adding:
“The school in the Urals village of Sepych has 380 pupils.”
Also See:
personal appeal – Gates ignores Gorbachev plea, February 6, 2006
BBC – Piracy case collapses in Russia, February 15, 2006
more recently – Trade groups attack Canada, February 15, 2006
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