In 2007 Alexander Ponosov was fined 5,000 rubles — about $200, or half his monthly wage — last year when a local court found him guilty of installing unlicensed Microsoft Windows and Office software on computers used by students at his school. The local courts were being manipulated by hungry prosecutors to prove that Russia is serious about catching Pirates of software!

Alexander Ponosov says the software was installed on the computers when they were purchased by the school & delivered by a subcontractor. He did not know that the licenses were faked. (Link to Article)

So Finally Today:

Teacher Wins $8,000 in Pirated Windows Lawsuit
09 September 2009
The Moscow Times

A Perm court on Wednesday ordered the government to pay 250,000 rubles ($8,000) in damages to a village schoolteacher for falsely accusing him of using pirated Windows software. Interfax reported.

Alexander Ponosov, who was the school’s principal at the time of his arrest, was convicted in 2007 and fined 5,000 rubles, or half of his monthly salary. Prosecutors said he had caused 266,000 rubles in damages to Microsoft.

Ponosov maintained his innocence in two years of subsequent appeals, saying the software had been installed on the computers when they were delivered by a subcontractor and that he had not known that it was pirated.

Ponosov had sought 300,000 rubles in damages, and the Vereshchaginky District Court initially agreed to award 75,000 rubles. It raised the amount to 250,000 rubles on Wednesday.

This is fantastic. I have followed this case from the beginning and this man (Alexander Ponosov) has refused to give up. That is the way it should be when you are right and the system is wrong…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.