eBay Sellers May Find They Owe Microsoft
Some eBay sellers may find that they owe Microsoft
some big cash. Microsoft filed lawsuits today against eBay sellers who
have allegedly been selling pirated software through their eBay account.
The lawsuits were filed against sellers in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida,
Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York and Washington.
Microsoft
lauded its Windows Genuine Advantage program, which helped catch seven of the
eight defendants. Additionally, some of those affected placed calls to
Microsoft’s anti-piracy hotline, 1-800-RU-LEGIT.
Software piracy is a big battle for Microsoft. The company says it
routinely checks auction sites for illegal software, and asks to have those
auctions that it finds questionable removed. Last year, nearly 50,000 auctions
were shut down for offering pirated copies of Microsoft
products.
Studies show that 1 out of 5 software purchases online are
pirated. When you go to purchase software be sure to validate the
source. Most people purchased priated sofware without their knowledge.