A judge ordered a computer retailer to pay Microsoft the equivalent of US$4.5 million in damages for the retailer's unlicensed use of the software giant's products, according to a court judgment released Friday. A High Court hearing judge, Master Mary Yuen, sided with Microsoft in a copyright infringement lawsuit that alleged that the authorized Microsoft retailer, Able System Development, had illegally pre-loaded unlicensed copies of the Office and Windows programs onto computers it sold between 1996 and 1998. Retailers in Hong Kong commonly preload a wide variety of software on computers they sell, but Able had no permission to do that with Microsoft's software. Yuen said in her judgment, issued Thursday, that Able had acted illegally to cut its costs and lure more customers to its business through cheaper prices. A reporter's calls to Microsoft and Able were not immediately returned on Friday.
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