Software Pirate Walks the Plank, Fined over $300K Doubloons

An Australian man who allegedly illegally produced and sold counterfeit copies of Microsoft Windows and Office software between 2006 and 2013 was recently ordered to pay Microsoft over $300,000 in damages. Notably, less than 2% of the sum was classified as compensating Microsoft for actual harm, with the remaining 98% deemed “additional” damages. Would-be buyers of illegal or otherwise unlicensed software should take note as well. Not only are they liable for Copyright Infringement, but they may unwittingly expose themselves to a variety of risks including hidden malware, system crashes, data loss and identity theft. Anti-piracy organizations such as Business Software Alliance (BSA) regularly investigate companies suspected of using unlicensed software and offer rewards to encourage whistleblowers to come forward.

Source: http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/527410/trader_fined_304k_selling_fake_windows_software/

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