[glug-t] Gorbachev wades into piracy row

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Frederick Noronha <fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6332441.stm
Gorbachev wades into piracy row

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has urged Microsoft co-founder
Bill Gates to intercede in a computer piracy case against a Russian
headteacher.

The plea came in an open letter published on Mr Gorbachev's website.

Microsoft representatives in Russia brought the case against Alexander
Ponosov, accused of running pirated software on school computers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also criticised the prosecution
of Mr Ponosov, in Perm, east of Moscow.

Mr Gorbachev's letter, on the website run by his charitable
foundation, said "many people in Russia regard this scandalous case as
trumped-up, launched on the initiative of Microsoft corporation to set
a precedent".

'Show mercy'

"We have great respect for the work of Microsoft's programmers... and
are in no way casting doubt on the principle of punishment for
intellectual property violations.

"However, in this case we ask you to show mercy and withdraw your
complaint against Alexander Ponosov," the letter read.

Mr Gorbachev said that under Russian criminal law the teacher could
face "imprisonment in Siberian camps".

The Perm region lies in the Ural Mountains, between Moscow and Siberia.

Microsoft accuses the teacher of knowingly using pirated Windows
software in the school and causing the company losses put at 266,000
roubles ($10,000; =A35,000).

Mr Ponosov says he is innocent, that the software had been
pre-installed and he did not know it was unlicensed when he obtained
the computers.

At his news conference on 1 February, President Putin said
investigators should "go after the distributors, not the users".

"It's ridiculous to just arrest a chap for using computers," he said.
--

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taggy
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