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Quebec Software Pirate Fined for Disobeying Court
In early December, 2008, the Federal Court of Canada imposed a $100,000 fine against Quebec-based retailer, Carmelo Cerrelli, who pled guilty to contempt of court after persisting in selling counterfeit copies of Microsoft software. The contempt of court ruling comes in the wake of a December 2006 judgment in which Mr. Cerrelli and two corporations controlled by him and operating under the name “Inter-Plus” were found to have distributed counterfeit copies of various Microsoft applications. Microsoft was awarded the maximum amount of statutory damages totaling $500,000, as well as punitive damages of $200,000, and Mr. Cerrelli was ordered not to continue selling the counterfeit software. However, despite the court order, in mid-2007 Microsoft began receiving reports that Mr. Cerrelli had resumed selling pirated software, and so they obtained and conducted a civil search and seizure under the authority of the Federal Court, discovering several hundred pieces of pirated Microsoft products. Microsoft then initiated contempt proceedings, leading to Cerrelli’s guilty plea. Should Mr. Cerrelli fail to pay the $100,000 fine, he could face a 60-day jail term.
Industry analysts say that the Cerrelli decisions show that Canadian courts are taking an increasingly hard line on the problem of counterfeiting and piracy in this country.
For additional information, visit:
http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=114622
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/Home/News.asp?id=51001&bSearch=True