REDMOND, Wash., June 15 (UPI) -- Microsoft Corp. filed four lawsuits Wednesday against companies in Virginia and California for alleged distribution of counterfeit software.
The allegedly illegal or questionable actions of four companies were brought to Microsoft's attention through consumer complaints and through Microsoft's test-purchase program, a company initiative designed to help monitor the legitimacy of software distributed around the country through random purchases of software and software components from resellers, according to a release from Microsoft.
"We have an obligation to protect consumers and legitimate resellers," said Mary Jo Schrade, senior attorney at Microsoft. "In filing these lawsuits, we hope to curb the amount of pirated and counterfeit software on the market and keep illegal software from finding its way into the hands of unknowing consumers and businesses."
