Symantec settles counterfeiting suit

Security software maker Symantec said Monday that it was awarded $3.2 million as part of a settlement with a company it accused of marketing forged versions of its products. Under the terms of the agreement, the defendant, Papa B Enterprises, and its owner, Richard Mastrogiovanni, were also ordered to help prosecute other companies believed to be counterfeiting Symantec's applications.

Symantec filed suit against Papa B Enterprises in 2003 in U.S. District Court, alleging that the company had been marketing unauthorized copies of its software via online auction sites for more than a year. The company said the products involved in the scheme included its Norton SystemWorks, Norton AntiVirus, Norton Ghost and pcAnywhere applications. Symantec has recently won similar claims against a handful of other companies, including CD Micro, eCommerce and Maryland Internet Marketing.