Russian teacher off the hook in Microsoft piracy case

Stan Beer
Sunday, 18 February 2007 15:50

Opinion and Analysis

Russian school principal Alexander Ponosov can count himself lucky to escape the wrath of an overly zealous Russian prosecutor hell bent on proving to the world that his country is not soft on software piracy. Mr Ponosov, who was charged with using pirated Microsoft software, can thank supporters in high places such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Russian president Vladimir, as well as the Russian public for rallying to his cause.

Last week Mr Ponosov was convicted by a Russian judge on a charge of using pirated Microsoft software that was pre-installed in 12 computers he bought for his school in the remote Urals region. However, instead of a maximum five years prison term, he was let off without sentence because the judge  deemed that the financial damage caused to Microsoft was insignificant.

The case of the principal of a remote provincial middle school had captured worldwide attention, not least because Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the prosecution as ridiculous and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev publicly appealed to Bill Gates in an open letter to intervene.

However, Microsoft, which is on a crusade to stamp out piracy in parts of Eastern Europe and Asia, stood firm and did not intervene. Piracy in all sectors of the economy is rife throughout Russia and the authorities are desperate to get it under control because of the Government's desire for Russia to become a member of the World Trade Organization.

On the other hand, picking on a dedicated middle school principal who obviously bought the computers for his school without any intent on making a profit was obviously not a wise choice for the prosecutor. The persecuted principal instantly became a champion of the common folk throughout the nation and the case was televised.

A big loser in this case is Microsoft, which is now back-pedalling from its earlier tough stance, saying that it has no interest in prosecuting schools or teachers. Another big loser is the prosecutor, who is now trying to salvage an untenable position by appealing the verdict. However, the biggest loser is Russia, which has totally failed to rein in the pirate software industry and instead allows its legal system to go after the wrong targets.