Microsoft sues former Solution Provider over piracy

Microsoft Corporation announced today it has filed a lawsuit against 21stCentury Solutions Inc., an information systems reseller and formerMicrosoft Solution Provider in Omaha, Nebraska, for copyright and trademarkinfringement and breach of contract. The lawsuit is the result of aninvestigation launched following customer complaints to Microsoft's Anti-Piracy hotline. It alleges that 21st Century Solutions loaded unauthorizedcopies of Windows NT Server, Windows 95, and Microsoft Office Professionalonto computers and servers that it sold.

Microsoft Solution Providers are specially trained and certified byMicrosoft to provide computer systems and technology solutions tobusinesses, using a variety of Microsoft products. Ironically, part of theSolution Provider agreement states that the user agrees to make everyeffort to prevent the unauthorized duplication or pirating of Microsoftproducts and to take all available steps to protect against piracy.

"The increasing popularity of our BackOffice family of productsunfortunately also means an increase in piracy," said Jim Lowe, Microsoftcorporate attorney. "We recently launched a nationwide campaign to confrontresellers who 'hard-disk load' our client/server software products. Todate, the 21st Century case is one of worst abuses of software licensingthat we've investigated."

Microsoft receives over 2,000 calls each month about piracy. If you havequestions about the legitimacy of Microsoft products, you can contact theMicrosoft Anti-Piracy Hotline at 1-800-RU-LEGIT (785-3448), or send e-mailto [email protected]