A seller of counterfeit Microsoft Office 2007 software on Trade Me has been successfully sued.

The verdict was given at the District Court in Manukau to a seller trading as 'ShaahilAli'. The offender admitted he was liable for copyright infringement through his sale of counterfeit copies of Microsoft programs over the auction site.

Microsoft said it was pleased with the judgment and the results of a recent IDC Piracy Study, which show New Zealand has one of the lowest levels of piracy in the world.

Mark Rees, Microsoft New Zealand’s National Technology Officer, said, “Microsoft is doing everything in its power to stamp out piracy, and educating New Zealand businesses and Kiwi consumers about the risks of getting software from suspicious sources plays a major part of this.  Pirated software hurts everyone from software developers to retail store owners, and ultimately all software users. Purchasing from known and trusted sources and avoiding ‘too good to be true’ deals are the best ways to avoid wasting valuable time and money on counterfeit or infringing software.” Chris Budge, Trade Me’s Trust & Safety manager, added, “We have zero tolerance for intellectual property theft and this Microsoft case sends a strong message that if you try to flog off counterfeit items you will be seen and caught – and you will pay a hefty price for your actions.”