We appreciate the efforts being made by Microsoft and others in the software industry to proactively address the piracy problem that is plaguing the industry, said Gary Marcus, president of Derive Technologies, a New York City-based technology solutions provider and reseller. We lose a significant portion of our business every year — day in, day out — to disreputable resellers who sell pirated software and appreciate the help in leveling the playing field.

These lawsuits against the three New York area resellers allege that, despite previous requests from Microsoft to stop, the defendants persisted in distributing counterfeit and/or infringing Microsoft software to customers and/or Microsoft investigators.

Microsoft filed the following complaints in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York:

Accu-Pro Computer Services Inc., of Valley Stream, N.Y., allegedly distributed counterfeit Microsoft Office 2000 and Office Professional 97 (Case No. 01 Civ. 5486 (ADS) (MLO)).

Computer Care Center Inc., of Flushing, N.Y., allegedly hard disk loaded Microsoft Windows® 98 and Office Professional 97 (Case No. 01 Civ. 5453 (SJ) (JMA)).

DPC International of Brooklyn, N.Y., allegedly distributed counterfeit Office 2000 (Case No. 01 Civ. 5472 (DGT) (RML)).

According to a study conducted by International Planning and Research Corp., New York’s software piracy rate of 19.6 percent in 1999 cost the state more than 5,592 jobs and more than $452.9 million in combined wages and tax revenues. This demonstrates that software piracy impacts not only unfortunate consumers and honest resellers, but also every person in the state.

Our efforts to curb software piracy further three key goals: to protect consumers from being duped into spending good money on bogus Microsoft software, to help level the playing field for honest resellers and to protect intellectual property rights, said Tim Cranton, corporate attorney for Microsoft. Consumers and resellers with questions about the legitimacy of their software also play a significant role in combating piracy, by being discerning shoppers and business people.

SOURCE: COMPANY PRESS RELEASE