Microsoft Files Two Dozen Anti-Piracy Suits

The suits filed in seven states claim the companies pirated Microsoft software or installed unlicensed products on computers they sold. The Redmond, Wash., software maker filed the suits as part of its Genuine Software Initiative, which attacks piracy through education, engineering and enforcement.

"We are committed to finding the unscrupulous dealers of pirated software and making piracy a business model that doesn't work," Mary Jo Schrade, senior attorney at Microsoft, said in a statement.

Microsoft gathered evidence for the suits through a "secret-shopper" program in which the company purchased hardware and software from computer dealers across the nation and then tested the products for authenticity. In many of the cases, Microsoft provided the defendants with information on how they could acquire and obtain software licenses.

The suits were filed in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and South Carolina. Defendants included Affordable Computers, Budget Computers, Tido Computers, Computer Imaging Services Inc., Cyber Connect Inc., Sales International LLC, The Computer Shop Software Plus Inc., Apollo Computer Corp., Chicago Computer Club Corp., BWC Products Inc., Digital Systems Belka Inc., SurplusOutlet19, Mainstream Computers, Custom Computer Warehouse Inc., The ComputerWiz 777 Corp., Infoserve Technologies Corp., J.C. Jay Computer Inc., Pearl River Computers Inc., Professionalmax Computer Warehouse Inc., Computer Clinic/NR Computer SVC Inc., Investment Technologies Inc., Computer Plus USA Inc., and Microcomp Solution Inc.