A Qingdao Enterprise Ordered to Compensate Over RMB 1.72 Million for Using Pirated Software

2008/04/01,By Ginny Han, China IP,[Copyright]

On April 16, 2008, after a three-month trial, the Qingdao Intermediate People's Court issued a first instance judgment against the Qingdao Outemei Traffic Equipment Co., Ltd. ("Outemei") for the unauthorized installation and use of illicit copies of software from many companies. The company was ordered to pay Microsoft, PTC, and Autodesk RMB 1.7 million.

On December 9, 2005, having received numerous complaints from right holders, the Qingdao Copyright Bureau conducted an investigation with law enforcement at the offices of the Qingdao Outemei Traffic Equipment Co., Ltd. It was discovered that Outemei had installed copies of Microsoft Windows and Office, PTC Pro/E Wildfire, and AutoCAD on some of the computers. The search showed that Outemei's installation and use of the software was illegal.

Thereafter, the right holders spent several months attempting to negotiate settlement, however failed due to repeated infringements by Outemei. Without alternatives, the three companies filed litigation in the Qingdao Intermediate People's Court on July 2007, demanding compensation from Outemei for losses. In addition, the Qingdao Copyright Bureau imposed administrative penalties on Outemei during the same period.  
                                                                             (Translated by Zhang Meichang)

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