Microsoft has filed 26 lawsuits against alleged dealers of pirated software in seven U.S. states, the company said Tuesday. Microsoft claims the companies sold pirated software or computers loaded with pirated software.The suits were filed in federal courts against companies in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and South Carolina. They are intended to protect Microsoft’s software revenue and its reseller partners, who stand to lose business when users buy pirated software, the company said.Microsoft gathered evidence against the defendants through several means. In some cases, complaints were received through Microsoft’s antipiracy hotline. In others, Microsoft purchased computers from the defendants as part of a “secret shopper” program to find dealers selling pirated software.The Business Software Alliance (BSA), an industry group backed by several software companies, including Microsoft, reported in May that 21 percent of software sold in the United States is pirated. That rate is the lowest in the world, according to a BSA list of the 20 countries with the lowest piracy rates. Further details of the BSA report on software piracy are available online.-Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service (Beijing Bureau) This article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in. Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe