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Russian School Teacher 'Pirate' Case Re-Opened
newtley writes "Russian school teacher Alexander Ponosov thought he was out from under after having been accused of 'criminally' using Microsoft product. A Russian court threw the case out, calling it 'trivial,' and Russian president Vladimir Putin said those who make "pirate" goods should be targeted, not consumers, calling the trial "utter nonsense". Now the BBCA Russian court has ordered a retrial, 'after pressure from the prosecution'. However, Ponosovhas now launched a web site. It's in Russian."
That's way too hard to read. Who can learn all that? It's like the Russians have a different word for everything!
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
Obviously, Russian prosecutors have no appreciation for the consequences of their actions.
One less pirate, one step closer to our inevitable demise due to global warming.
Microsoft has distanced itself from the prosecution, saying it had nothing to do with the charges and had opted last year not to bring any civil action.
Microsoft has said they're not interested in prosecuting... no wonder, that would be some bad press. The guy is a school teacher, using Windows on 12 computers in the school. It's probably good news for Microsoft that he's using their software - get the kids hooked on Windows while they're young, so they'll be accustomed to using it (and possibly paying for it) later in life.
I store my recipes online (the way nature intended)
In Soviet Russia FCKGW key enters you!
We could use a Martyr in our crusade against ridiculous copyright laws.
Seriously, this aggression toward a relatively innocent school teacher who only wanted to give his students the best education he couldn't afford... it doesn't cause fear of piracy in the publics eye it causes ANGER.
Eventually these ridiculous lawsuits and penalties will drive the public to fix a damaged copyright system, or even drive them to embrace products that are not burdened by such copyrights. I just hope it happens soon!
Sometimes the best solution is to stop wasting time looking for an easy solution.
This is why I am launching our school's computer lab with Edubuntu.
1. Built in Terminal Server - works well with donated (read: ancient) equipment
2. Great educational programs and games
3. It just works
4. Licensing - what licensing?
5. Maintenance and Administration - very little compared to a similar MS environment.
Perhaps more people in educational circles will see the benefit of switching from this poor teacher's incident.
One ring to bind them - should probably have more fiber and less rings in their diet.
I wonder how much the liability of running pirated MS products will now be an incentive to move to Linux?
Most distro's have a Russian language version and don't come with the litigation risk.
The truth shall set you free!
> out from under after having been accused of 'criminally'
> using Microsoft product"
It should be criminal to use a Microsoft product.
The administrator in question is enjoying this publicity and thumbing his nose at the authorities and Microsoft as if it is some kind of a virtue to run machines preloaded with pirated copies of Windows. There has been talk in Russian press that he was well aware that software was illegal on dozen of the machines but still decided to cut the costs and pocket the difference.
During a court trial he was asked to apologize and move on but he insisted of filing an appeal to "clear his name" and play a martyr of some sort. In sum, this guy is an asshole.
If one were to put aside the bias towards Microsoft, it's clear that Panosov is being defiant, despite him being completely guilty.
I've checked his blog and he's asking his readers on how to partition the NTFS drive and install Linux alongside windows. I don't think he learned a lesson here. He's not the saintly school teacher who was unknowingly victimized by prosecutors as the media had initially reported.
You never hear about 'Ninja' trials.
Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
'The administrator in question is enjoying this publicity and thumbing his nose at the authorities and Microsoft'
.. use of the product can land you a hefty jail sentence.
:)
:) you have got to be taking the piss!!
Like how, he is protesting his innocence. He likes having the threat of a jail sentence hanging over his head? This is the second time a school teacher is facing jail time for using Windows. See here where a 7th grade teacher gets arrested when porn images pop up in the browser on a Win98 desktop. The expert prosecution witness says there is no way such images could have got on without user interaction. Something we all know is a big lie.
The teachers union on both continents should have the schools sign a do not sue waiver before touching the computer. Or maybe the EULA should be updated
'there has been talk in Russian press that he was well aware that software was illegal on dozen of the machines but still decided to cut the costs and pocket the difference'
Do you have any evidence for this wacky anecdote.
'During a court trial he was asked to apologize and move on but he insisted of filing an appeal to "clear his name" and play a martyr of some sort. In sum, this guy is an asshole'
What trial? the first case was thrown out. Also the original claim changed from piracy to illegally using the software. Even so the Judge saw fit not to proceed. Where does it say he was asked to apologize. Why would he appeal a non case. Where does it say he appealed.
'If one were to put aside the bias towards Microsoft, it's clear that Panosov is being defiant, despite him being completely guilty'
What are you smoking, toad juice? What bias? How does defending oneself in a court of law equate to being biased? I thought even in your country people are deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 'Your honour the defendant is obviously guilty as he has chosen to plead innocent'
'I've checked his blog and he's asking his readers on how to partition the NTFS drive and install Linux alongside windows. I don't think he learned a lesson here. He's not the saintly school teacher who was unknowingly victimized by prosecutors as the media had initially reported'
What blog? Do you mind providing a citation to this blog where it actually says that. How in the alternate Bizarro world that you occupy does installing Linux equate to being guilty in a case of software piracy.
was Not the whole story... (Score:5, Interesting
davecb5620@gmail.com