Russian school headmaster fined in piracy case.

[Greenmatiz2]

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/9627.cfm

Alexander Ponosov, a Russian headmaster, has been fined half of his monthly salary for using pirated copies of Microsoft software in his school's computers.

Prosecutors in the case said Ponosov violated Microsoft's property rights by allowing his students to use 12 school computers that were running on unlicensed copies of Microsoft Windows XP and had unlicensed Office software as well.

In his defense, Ponosov said he did not know the computers had fake licenses when they were delivered by a contractor.

Illegal copies of the XP operating system can be found on the streets of Moscow for an average of $6 and the US government has urged the Russian government to crack down on such rampant piracy if it has any hope of joining the WTO.

Looks like Russia is trying to save face.