UK reseller quintet collared for software offences

Microsoft announces settlements with five VARs who have admitted to illegally vending software

Microsoft has announced it has reached settlements with five UK IT resellers who have admitted to illegal hard disk loading.

The announcement has been made to coincide with the vendor's annual Play Fair Day (previously known as Consumer Action Day). The initiative aims to shine a light on the negative impact piracy and illegal software vending can have on the industry.

The companies Microsoft has reached a settlement with are: Fleetwood Computers of Derby; Seaford Computer Services in East Sussex; Dinas Computers in Cardiff; Subnet 1 of Middlesex; and JC Computer Supplies in County Durham.

This takes the number of enforcement actions taken against UK traders in 2011 by Microsoft to 119. To coincide with Play Fair Day, the software giant has also released some research from Harrison Group which suggests that about a quarter pirated operating systems become infected immediately upon installation. Another quarter are unable to download automatic Microsoft updates, claims the analyst.

Peter Sketch, director of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK, said: "The current economic climate means that, for IT resellers, every pound they put in their pocket becomes more important than the last. To address the increasing sophistication of software counterfeiters in the UK, we are committed to educating businesses about the serious risks of counterfeit software and are investing in developing new forensic technologies."