Symantec Turns Harsh on Software Pirates

On May 19, 2007, Symantec Corp. declared that it had lodged 8 civil lawsuits in a row against the distributors of duplicate Symantec software, as the firm seeks a sum of above $55 million in losses caused due to the cases that are involved in the scam. News Online published this on May 20, 2007.

In the complaints, Symantec included the claims that businesses were involved in copyright infringement, trademark infringement, unfair competition, fraud, trafficking in fake labels & documentation, and phony ads. Symantec is seeking jury trial as well as US$4-10 million in damages for each of firm accused.

All of the suits were filed in California at the US District Court level. The businesses that were sued comprised of the following names: California's Acortech.com, New York based Logical Plus Inc., m-Plus International Technology Inc. (Florida), SoftwareOutlets.com Inc. (Florida), Canadian firm eDirect Software, Texas' Directron.com Inc., Florida's Global Impact Inc., and California's Rowcal Distribution.

Symantec is the most recent firm that's trying to find a refuge from the pervasive problem of piracy. As per the industry reports, software makers have to suffer a loss of millions of dollars due to software piracy every year.

The threat that these pirates pose before users and safety of their financial and personal online information can't be overstated, as per the director of Symantec's Legal Affairs Scott Minden in his company press release that Web Wire had published on May 19, 2007. Pirated software may not work properly, it may also carry identity theft malware and therefore may cause damage to the machine on which it is run. Copied software is also very much likely to never get automatic updates. As a consequence, it may leave the user susceptible to new cyber threats.

These software thieves were moving huge quantities of replicated products, thereby putting numerous unwary users at jeopardy to have their information either stolen or completely lost, Minden added.

The investigation of firms was carried out by Symantec's Brand Protection Task-Force, which used the test-purchases of suspected forged products and defective discs' review that various customers had submitted about the accused firms to base the accusations against the companies it investigated.

Related article: Sentence for American Contractor for Sabotaging Government Navy Computers

» SPAMfighter News - 5/29/2007