MS in software counterfeit alert
Vendor sends 1,000 warning letters
Microsoft's clampdown on illegal software is hitting home as letters begin to thud onto 1,000 UK resellers' doormats.
Last month the software giant revealed it was drawing up a list of resellers that had bought counterfeit software. Microsoft is now informing them they have done so.
Mike Lawrence, managing director of Microsoft reseller Bentpenny, was shocked when he received a letter from the vendor linking the company to the Hussein case, which involved a number of companies that supplied pirated software between January 2000 and October 2002.
Alex Hilton, Microsoft's UK group manager licence compliance, said none of the 1,000 resellers contacted will be prosecuted. "It's not about prosecution; it's about education and helping them avoid legal action," he said.
Hilton added that Microsoft has records of sales made by companies involved in the Hussein case. "The scale of the problem is not yet clear to resellers.
Many are unaware they have sold counterfeit products," he said.