Gorbachev Asks Gates to Show 'Pirate' Mercy
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A plea to prevent a Russian teacher from being sentenced to detention in Siberian prison camps is coming from an unlikely source: former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has urged European nations to commit more troops to help fight extremism in Afghanistan.
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(InfoWorld) - Charges have been dropped against a Russian school principal who faced up to five years in prison for software piracy, according to Russia's state news agency. Alexander Ponosov, 40, was charged with violating Russia's copyright law after police seized 12 computers from his school in the western Russian village of Vereschagino. Police say the PCs contained more than US$10,000 in pirated Microsoft Corp. software, but Ponosov claims he bought the computers with the software preinstalled and has maintained his innocence. The case drew international attention last week when former Soviet Union PresidentÂ Mikhail Gorbachev wrote Microsoft Chairman Bill GatesÂ asking him to intervene in the matter. Gorbachev wrote that while Russian law allows for the prosecution of those who unknowingly use pirated software, the case against Ponosov is unwarranted. The former leader also made an emotional appeal, writing that Ponosov dedicated his life to teaching for a modest salary, which doesn't compare to those of Microsoft employees. Gorbachev's high-level intervention has come as Microsoft pursues an aggressive legal campaign to stop piracy of its software. Microsoft has launched dozens of civil lawsuits and aided law enforcement in criminal investigations throughout Europe and the U.S. The charges were dropped Thursday for lack of evidence by a regional Russian court, according to RIA (Russian Information Agency) Novosti, a state news agency. If convicted, Ponosov would have faced a fine of up to 266,000 rubles (US$10,124) in addition to a possible prison term. State prosecutors are quoted as saying they may appeal the decision within 10 days, according to the report. Microsoft officials could not be reached immediately for comment. Â  Jeremy Kirk in London contributed to this report. Â
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Microsoft is sidestepping an appeal from a former leader of the Soviet Union to intervene in a piracy case involving a school principal.
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MUNICH, Germany  - Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a direct appeal to Europeans on Sunday to support the war in Afghanistan, warning that violence and terrorism could surge worldwide if NATO was defeated there.
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Mikhail S. Gorbachev remarks were the most vocal criticism to date by a prominent Russian political figure.
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The Russian president puts some blame on his international critics -- and supports president Bush
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President Vladimir Putin underscored the importance of moral values and military might Tuesday, honoring Russians from a frail-looking Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who documented the Soviet Union's brutality, to men who designed its nuclear-armed submarines.
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Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Wednesday that U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe are arrogant and threaten to usher in a new Cold War.
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Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev   said on Tuesday he supported tough measures taken by Russian   President Vladimir Putin and wished he had adopted them.
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates  made a direct appeal to Europeans on Sunday to support the war  in Afghanistan, warning that violence and terrorism could surge  worldwide if NATO was defeated there.
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Russia is the fourth nation to participate in Microsoft Corp&#39;s Windows XP Starter Edition pilot program, for first-time PC users in developing technology markets.
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(InfoWorld) - Microsoft is sidestepping an appeal from a former leader of the Soviet Union to intervene in a piracy case involving a school principal. Mikhail Gorbachev, who is credited with aiding the end of the Cold War, wrote to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Monday asking for help in halting the trial of Aleksandr Ponosov, 40, who could face up to five years in prison. In the letter, posted on his Web site in Russian, Gorbachev wrote that his country finds the prosecution of Ponosov scandalous. Ponosov, 40, was charged in November with using more than $10,000 in pirated Microsoft software. The principal claims he bought the computers with the unlicensed software preinstalled. Police seized 12 computers from his school in the village of Vereschagino in western Russia in May 2006, but soon returned them so the school could conduct its computer science exams. Gorbachev wrote that while Russian law allows for the prosecution of those who unknowingly use pirated software, the case against Ponosov is unwarranted. The former leader also made an emotional appeal, writing that Ponosov dedicated his life to teaching for a modest salary, which doesn't compare to those of Microsoft employees. Gorbachev's high-level intervention comes as Microsoft continues anÂ aggressive legal campaign to stop piracyÂ of its software. Microsoft has launched dozens of civil lawsuits and aided law enforcement in criminal investigations throughout Europe and the U.S. A Microsoft executive said Tuesday that Russian authorities contacted the company to verify the software was illegal. Microsoft did not request that charges be filed, and the decision to charge Ponosov was made by prosecutors, said Kim Gagne, corporate affairs director for central and eastern Europe. Microsoft will not pursue a civil case against the principal. "We don't see this as a serious violation," said Olga Dergunova, who heads Microsoft's Russian operations. The protection of intellectual property has become a key sticking point between Russia and the U.S., which has said lax enforcement hurts Russia's chances of entering the World Trade Organization. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week the focus should be on the producers and distributors of pirated software. "The law recognizes the concept of someone who purchased the product in good faith," Putin said at his annual press conference on Feb. 1. "It is easy to just grab someone and punish, but what we need to do is get to the bottom of each case, which is harder," he said. During a visit to Moscow in November, Gates said Microsoft will do what it can to provide Russian school children with advanced software while also praising government efforts to protect intellectual property, according to the RIA Novosti, a government-owned news agency. (Pavel Kupriyanov of Computerworld Russia contributed to this story). Â
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A Russian schoolteacher who became a  popular hero after he was put on trial for using pirated  Microsoft programs has launched a campaign against the software  giant's global domination.
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MOSCOW - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warned yesterday against whitewashing the crimes of dictator Josef Stalin, stressing that Russia cannot move forward without facing the truth about its bloody past.
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In an Internet posting, a Chechen warlord with a $10 million bounty on his head has apparently claimed responsibility for the Beslan school siege and promised more attacks on Russian civilians if Chechnya is not granted independence.
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Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev returned to Russia on Saturday, more than two weeks after undergoing surgery in Germany for a blocked artery in the neck, his aide said.