A Hong Kong computer retailer who sold unlicensed copies of Office
and Windows programs has been ordered to pay Microsoft $4.5 million
in damages, according to the Associated Press. It appears that Able
System Development, a licensed Microsoft retailer, illegally
pre-loaded unlicensed copies of the software onto computers sold
between 1996 and 1998.
The Hong Kong High Court ruled that the retailer had acted
illegally to cut costs and offer lower prices, and that those
practices constituted copyright infringement.
The Associated Press reports that Microsoft characterised the
decision as “a significant milestone in the protection of
intellectual property rights in Hong Kong.”
