Microsoft Gives Five Month Grace Period to Computer Clubs

From April 8 to August 31 the Microsoft Corporation will not turn to Ukraine’s law enforcement organs with requests to conduct inspections in computer clubs and Internet cafes to reveal copyright infringement. In addition, Interfax Ukraine quotes Head of Strategic Projects at the Microsoft Representation the in CIS Yevhen Danylov as saying that during this period the company will not bring charges even if law enforcement organs reveal some infringement of copyright in course of their inspections. Mr. Danylov also noted that this is the first case of a temporary moratorium in the practice of defending Microsoft copyrights in the CIS. The Microsoft representative said that the corporation is giving the clubs a chance to purchase licenses for the software they use in these five months, and that Microsoft’s initiative will allow them normal work during the summer busy season. However, Mr. Danylov stressed, this decision does not ensure them from militia inspections. According to him, this is caused by the fact that Microsoft representatives possess information on 150 criminal cases instituted in Ukraine on copyright infringement. Only five of them were not initiated by Microsoft. Simultaneously, Head of the All-Ukrainian Association of Computer Clubs Oleksandr Bernatovych said that quite often Microsoft representatives lack information on law enforcement inspections. In October 2001 the Administration to Fight Economic Crimes (AFEC) on the initiative of Microsoft Corporation strengthened control on using licensed software by Ukraine’s computer clubs. In late November Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs ordered AFEC leaders to scrutinize problems arising during operations to prevent intellectual property violations. In mid-March law enforcement organs intensified their inspections of computer clubs. Up to ten clubs have undergone such inspections on a daily basis, with one of them being closed. The Association of Computer Clubs estimates that there are about 3,000 computer clubs in Ukraine.