Not Only Microsoft But Customers At Risk
Software developers lose billions of dollars in annual revenue from software piracy, namely, the unauthorized and unlawful copying, downloading, and distributing of copyrighted and trademarked software and related components. In 2013, the commercial value of pirated software in the United States was in excess of $9.7 billion.
Software developers, like Microsoft, are not the only victims of software piracy. Microsoft’s customers are also victims as they are often deceived by distributors of pirated software who often go to great lengths to make the software appear genuine which further can lead to security and legal issues.
Cyberforensics allows Microsoft to analyze billions of activations of Microsoft software and identify activation patterns and characteristics that make it more likely than not that the IP address associated with the activations is an address through which pirated software is being activated
On information and belief, Defendants have installed and activated unlicensed Microsoft software on hundreds of computer systems using unauthorized product keys, including certain keys known to have been stolen from Microsoft’s supply chain.Based on the volume and pattern of their activation activity, on information and belief, Defendants appear to consist of one or more commercial entities that subsequently distributed those systems to customers who, on information and belief, were unaware they were receiving pirated software.
