Microsoft snubs Gorbachev over piracy plea

SOFTWARE GIANT Microsoft says that it has nothing to do with the court case of a Russian teacher who faces being sent to a gulag in Siberia for pirating its software.

The case has attracted the attention of the world media after Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev asked Gates to drop court action against the man.

Aleksandr Ponosov, says he innocently purchased computers with the unauthorized Windows software already installed.

However Microsoft has said it did not bring the case against Ponosov, this was done by the public prosecutor's office in Russia.

Vole is in a bit of a bind because after leaning on the Russian authorities to do something about the widespread piracy in the country, it cannot be seen to pull back.

At the same time, Ponosov's case is a bit of a political hot potato. While Russian mobsters are making a fortune out of software piracy, the Prosecutors seem to have focused on a poor bloke.

The decision to wallop Ponosov also has no backing from President Vladimir Putin of Russia who condemned the prosecution.

He said that to grab someone for buying a computer somewhere and start threatening him with prison is complete nonsense. He said that the law recognizes the concept of someone who purchased the product in good faith.

More here. µ