Russian School Headmaster Found Guilty for Using Pirated Microsoft Software But No Penalty Imposed

Judge declares Microsoft’s loss was insignificant compared with its overall earnings.

While the headmaster was found guilty of installing Microsoft software on 12 school computers, the judge found that the estimated $9700 damage to Microsoft was insignificant.

The case has been closely watched as a test of how Russia will enforce IP rights as it moves closer to the WTO membership. To the Russian public the headmaster, who like most academics in Russia gets by on a small salary and was facing a five year sentence if convicted, became a local hero. The case even drew attention of President Vladimir Putin who called the case “utter nonsense.”

For more information on IP protection in Russia, please contact Tanja Diklic. For more information on this particular news piece, please go here.