Microsoft protects consumers from fraud

MICROSOFT Corp. has announced the filing of 52 lawsuits and the referral of 22 cases to local law enforcement in 22 countries against resellers who allegedly sold counterfeit Microsoft software on various online marketplaces.

In addition, Microsoft announced the release of a new educational guide to help consumers spot and avoid counterfeit software offered on online marketplaces. These announcements are part of Microsoft’s continuing effort to protect consumers from the dangers of counterfeit software and build on Microsoft’s first global enforcement action in 2006 to combat online marketplace piracy.

Fifteen of the 52 lawsuits filed involved software traced to the largest-ever commercial counterfeit syndicate, which was broken up earlier this year by Chinese authorities, the FBI and Microsoft. Through its investigations, Microsoft found that the counterfeit software produced by the Chinese syndicate was distributed in some markets through domestic online sellers. As in the takedown of the Chinese syndicate, Microsoft customers played a role in helping to identify the counterfeiters in these cases by filing piracy reports with Microsoft after anti-piracy technology in Windows Genuine Advantage indicated that their software was fake.

“The criminal syndicate broken up this past summer by Chinese law enforcement and the FBI was linked to a significant amount of illegitimate Internet activity,” said David Finn, associate general counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting at Microsoft. “We took note of that fact and followed up globally, since we have a responsibility to help combat cyber-pirates who operate without borders and attempt to deceive unsuspecting software consumers around the world.”