Comments on: Software pirate to pay $1.1 million

Award to Microsoft and Symantec is result of plea agreement in a case in Houston in which the defendant admitted he sold pirated software.

Hidden Counterfeit Reality

It is critical to understand the invisible alarms hidden within announcements such as this. While the investigators searched Chen's offices, the chances are very good that they located (or Chen simply gave it to them) his customer identities and contact information.

If you or your company purchased counterfeit goods from this supplier, you're wide open to software piracy litigation WHEN the software publishers of enforcement entities follow up on those contacts. Clean it up, now!

[Mister C]

Bologna!

You are only liable if you KNOWINGLY purchased illegal software and the burden of proof falls on the claimant (this is still America). Further, they only go after the big guys where the cost can be justified by the return. The exception to this is a high profile user that can serve to intimidate other into complying. So unless you have some sort of smoking gun in your email most people are safe.

The real question is how much did Mr. Chen make on the sale of the software. If this is the usual slap on the wrist, then he probably made substantially more then the fine. That is the way it works for most white collar crime. To get real punishment you need to be a black kid selling a few grams of "Rock", then you get 10 years in the slammer to "teach you a lesson".

Lastly, is it M$ or Symantic that you work for?

Hidden Counterfeit Reality

It is critical to understand the invisible alarms hidden within announcements such as this. While the investigators searched Chen's offices, the chances are very good that they located (or Chen simply gave it to them) his customer identities and contact information.

If you or your company purchased counterfeit goods from this supplier, you're wide open to software piracy litigation WHEN the software publishers of enforcement entities follow up on those contacts. Clean it up, now!

[Mister C]

Bologna!

You are only liable if you KNOWINGLY purchased illegal software and the burden of proof falls on the claimant (this is still America). Further, they only go after the big guys where the cost can be justified by the return. The exception to this is a high profile user that can serve to intimidate other into complying. So unless you have some sort of smoking gun in your email most people are safe.

The real question is how much did Mr. Chen make on the sale of the software. If this is the usual slap on the wrist, then he probably made substantially more then the fine. That is the way it works for most white collar crime. To get real punishment you need to be a black kid selling a few grams of "Rock", then you get 10 years in the slammer to "teach you a lesson".

Lastly, is it M$ or Symantic that you work for?