Court grants Microsoft compensation for piracy

MICROSOFT Corp has been awarded 60,000 yuan (US$8,824) in compensation after two Shanghai companies were found guilty of software piracy today.

Microsoft took them to Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court in August as a warning to all copyright infringers, Shanghai Evening Post reported today.

The court ruled that Shanghai Changfeng Information Technology Co Ltd and its supplier Shanghai Chenyue Information Technology Co Ltd should stop the infringement today.

Microsoft entrusted an intellectual property institution to buy four compatible computers from Changfeng last October. It found pirated Microsoft Windows XP Professional had been installed in all four of them.

"Filing a lawsuit against piracy is expensive but is the best way to regulate the market," said Microsoft's representative You Minjian.

The company had asked for 320,000 yuan compensation.