Microsoft wins Hong Kong copyright case

A Hong Kong computer retailer who sold unlicensed copies of Office and Windows programs has been ordered to pay Microsoft $4.5 million in damages, according to the Associated Press. It appears that Able System Development, a licensed Microsoft retailer, illegally pre-loaded unlicensed copies of the software onto computers sold between 1996 and 1998.14 Oct 2002

The Hong Kong High Court ruled that the retailer had acted illegally to cut costs and offer lower prices, and that those practices constituted copyright infringement.

The Associated Press reports that Microsoft characterised the decision as “a significant milestone in the protection of intellectual property rights in Hong Kong.”

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