Symantec has filed suit against a network of accused counterfeit software distributors.
The Cupertino, Calif. anti-virus firm sued ANYI, SILI Inc., G.T. Micro, ASP Solutions, Mark Ma, Mike Lee and other associates after an internal investigation that began more than two years ago.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Symantec is seeking damages of $15 million.
Symantec began investigating the firms in February 2004, seizing 100,000 copies of counterfeit CDs in the process, according to a Symantec news release. The anti-virus giant said pirated trademarks included Norton AntiVirus, Norton SystemWorks, pcAnywhere, Norton Internet Security and Backup Exec.
Joseph Fitzgerald, vice president for intellectual property and deputy general counsel for Symantec, said in a news release that the suit will protect customers.
"Aside from the financial loss incurred by this activity, counterfeit software can also damage a user's operating system due to faulty code or cause a user's system to be wracked with security vulnerabilities," he said.
Contact information for the accused firms was not immediately available.
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