Microsoft Sues for Piracy

Microsoft on Thursday filed lawsuits against 23 companies in California and Florida, alleging distribution of counterfeit software.

The lawsuits were filed in various U.S. District Courts in the two states and seek to halt the distribution of pirated software by the companies named as defendants, Microsoft said. It did not specify whether it will seek damages from these companies.

The company is not shy in using its legal department, especially to stop the manufacture and sale of what it alleges are counterfeit or pirated versions of its software. The company cited 125 actions it has filed against alleged pirates and merchants over the last year in an effort to stop piracy.

Earlier this month, Microsoft sued spammers that had either sent unsolicited e-mail to users of its Windows Live Hotmail service, or used Hotmail to send spam.