Alexander Ponosov's case

[PryGuy]

Ponosov's case is an action against Aleksandr Ponosov, a teacher and principal of a high school in Sepych village of Perm Krai of Russia. This case caused significant controversy in Russian mass media and blogs as well as among Russian politicians and lawyers (especially copyright law experts).

Aleksandr Ponosov was charged with illegal use of unlicensed (pirate) copies of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office on 12 computers being used in the school (article 146.3 of the Russian Criminal Code) and of damnification of 266,593.63 rubles (about 10,000 USD) to Microsoft Corporation. The charges could result in 5 years of imprisonment. The unlicensed copies were pre-installed on the computers by the original equipment manufacturer prior to the school's purchase.
Read the whole article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponosov's_Case)
Another article about it (http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/02/12/235414)

[ThinkBuntu]

In Russia, 98% of cases, once indicted, are found guilty in the Russian court system. It's considered, in a way, shameful or unprofessional in legal, judicial, and political circles for a judge to find the defense not guilty except in extraordinary circumstances. This is based on what I read in "Kremlin Rising," a book from 2005 by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, two former long-time Washington Post Russia correspondents.

Doesn't bode well for this fellow.

[PryGuy]

I have to agree with you. But this case is a different one. He has real chance to win the case finally.

[ThinkBuntu]

I have to agree with you. But this case is a different one.

You live in Russia, what do you expect the outcome to be? Is the legal system less business-friendly these days? That would seem to be the case, following the 90's wild capitalism and in light of how Khodorkovsky's been treated.

[PryGuy]

Well, they wanted to make yet another victim of him. But Alexander was not that easy to break.
Imagine the situation: An ordinary teacher in an ordinary countryside school. This literally means "no money". I know that the OS makers like Microsoft usually fight for schools. So I doubt that it was Microsoft that put it to court.

First they wanted to put him to prison for five years. But it all came to 5,000 roubles ($194.4) finally. I think that Ponosov will win finally. Read another article about it (http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/02/12/235414).

There's one thing I can say for sure, it will help Linux to come to power in Russia.

[ThinkBuntu]

There's one thing I can say for sure, it will help Linux to come to power in Russia.
Sorry, I can't help but laugh, what with all the analogies of Linux to communism. Plus you said "come to power" which only makes the analogy funnier :^D

Any chance we can speed up Gutsy Gibbon's release for October 17? Just one day sooner!

[PryGuy]

Sorry, I can't help but laugh, what with all the analogies of Linux to communism. Plus you said "come to power" which only makes the analogy funnier :^D

Any chance we can speed up Gutsy Gibbon's release for October 17? Just one day sooner!I actually meant another thing. Our government is going to choose a 'governmental' operating system for internal use... ;) This case almost made them vote for Linux. That is another reason why I doubt that Microsoft started all that.

[ThinkBuntu]

The flavor of Linux being used will be one of the cheap localized Russian Linux distributives in Russia.

Article from MosNews.com >> (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2007/02/07/linuxschool.shtml)

[PryGuy]

Such a pity it's not Ubuntu

[ThinkBuntu]

Such a pity it's not Ubuntu
Why wouldn't they just use Ubuntu or Debian in Russian? I know the locales are available...I think even openSUSE has Russian.

[PryGuy]

I think that it is because the choice of distribution for the 'Russian Linux' is being made by people that hardly know what Linux is. You know the story... And yes, I agree, Ubuntu is perfectly localized.

[PryGuy]

Russian schools abandon Windows? (http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/02/05/234178)