Russian MS Software Piracy Case Thrown Out
A highly publicized piracy case against a schoolteacher in Russia was dismissed on Thursday, with a Russian District Court saying the case against the man was "trivial."
Alexandar Ponosov's plight was high profile enough to move former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to step in and plead with Microsoft founder Bill Gates to intercede on behalf of the man, saying he did not know he was committing a crime.
Russia Poised to Shutter AllofMP3
AllofMP3.com will likely be shut down by Russian authorities as part of its entrance into the World Trade Organization (WTO). But the site is fighting back, providing a legal argument for its continued operation.
A document released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative seems to indicate that Russia and the US have come to an agreement that would remove one of the biggest roadblocks to its entry into the WTO - intellectual property rights.
Russian Piracy Costs US $1.8 Billion
Russian piracy is becoming costly to U.S. companies, according to a report released late Monday by the International Intellectual Property Association. In 2005 alone, nearly $1.8 billion was lost due to pirated films, music and software, said the organization.
While that may seem staggering, piracy in China is even worse. The IIPA said that in 2005, bootlegged software and entertainment cost U.S. businesses $2.37 billion.
RIAA Pressures Russia Over Piracy
The RIAA last week applauded the U.S. Senate's passage of legislation that would put more pressure on the Russian government to curb widespread piracy within the country. A similar measure passed the U.S. House in mid-November.
Furthermore, Russia risks losing acceptance into the World Trade Organization and to receive trade benefits from the United States if it does not comply, the legislation reads.
Windows 2000 Launched In Russia - By Pirates
Windows 2000 Subject To Russian Import Regs
On Jan. 12, the US government announced a drastic reduction of export limitations for software products with built-in encryption technologies. As a result, Microsoft has announced that, taking the new export regulations into account, it will use 128-bit encryption in Windows 2000 versions shipped to other countries.
The new regulations were effective Jan. 14, and mean that software
vendors do not need US export licenses for products which utilize
encryption with key lengths exceeding 56 bits.
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