The amount of criminal lawsuits involving copyright violation has increased by fourfold this year (compared to 2005). Thus, the figure soared from 19 cases in the first half of 2005 to 80 cases in the first half of 2006.

Following the applications from representatives of Microsoft, AutoDesk, and Adobe that claimed that some production and design offices might be using illegal copies of their copyrighted software, the public prosecution authorities of Sverdlovsk Region carried out a number of inquiries. These inquiries revealed that the offense did take place.

The computers of one production and design office had illegal copies of Windows XP-professional, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office XP pro, AutoCAD-2005 and some other software programs installed on them, with the total cost of all the software coming to over 300,000 RUR. The prosecutor of Chkalovskiy District of Yekaterinburg initiated a criminal suit (the charge concerns Article 146 (Part 3) of Russian Criminal Code). Part of the investigation consists in a technical expertise targeted at examining the computer hard drives, with further inquiry and court proceedings to follow.

Another case of similar offense involves a 28-year-old Sergey Soloviev, who has been found guilty of counterfeiting by Ordzhonikidsevskiy Court of Yekaterinburg. It was proved that Mr Soloviev had placed an advertisement in Yarmarka newspaper offering to install various software programs for a certain fee. He was contacted by an undercover police officer in April 2006 and eventually installed Consultant Plus software on the officer’s computer, receiving 1,400 RUR for the service. This meant doing damage worth over 180,000 RUR to the copyright owner, Consultant Plus CJSC. Mr Soloviev got one year of suspended sentence and a 5,000-ruble fine.