Thanks to Alan
Dennill for this link.
“Russian authorities destroyed nearly half a million illegal
computer CDs on Tuesday in a rare public display of action against
the rampant piracy of computer and music discs.”
“Yet even as a massive bulldozer crushed pirated copies of
popular programmes such as computer software giant Microsoft’s
Windows 98, a Moscow outdoor market continued to offer pirated CDs
for about $2.”
“‘Of course, this action does not mean that we can eliminate
piracy in one day,’ said Maria Pichakhchi, a Microsoft spokeswoman
who watched officials crush and bury discs at a remote garbage dump
about 60 km (37 miles) from central Moscow.”
“‘But it does show that discs seized by the police are indeed
being destroyed.'”
“Experts say about 90 percent of Russia’s software and music
CDs, and about the same amount in video sales, are unauthorised.
Despite years of promises from Russian officials, they appear to
have made scant progress in fighting the problem.”