China's Do-It-Yourself personal computer market has proven a chronic headache for Microsoft Corp, which is continually battling the use of pirated software.

But the US-based software giant won a skirmish this month, when a Beijing court ruled against a major custom PC dealer accused of pre-installing pirated Microsoft Windows and Office software.

On July 2, Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court, in a preliminary ruling, sided with Microsoft against Beijing Strongwell Technology & Development Co, one of the larger custom PC dealers in Beijing.

The court said the Beijing company infringed on Microsoft's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and ordered Strongwell to pay Microsoft 461,409 yuan in compensation.

Strongwell has not reported whether the company will appeal the ruling.

 (China Daily)

< back >