Microsoft helped imprison a man for ‘counterfeiting’ software it gives away free
So many in this case are missing the point.<p>If Microsoft caught him violating their copyright, and it bothered Microsoft, Microsoft should have sued in civil court.  That is the purpose of civil court- to penalize wrongdoing by companies.  Happens all the time.<p>But Microsoft was never going to recover anything in civil court.<p>So Microsoft lied to the US government about the value of what was being &quot;stolen&quot;, and got the US government to foot the bill of prosecuting the case.<p>This is called a civil-criminal hybrid case.  It should be civilly prosecuted, but the US government gets in cahoots with a corporation and the pair conspire to make it a criminal prosecution, which allows the corporation to de facto imprison any person it helps to convict.<p>Microsoft was able to avoid the lion&#x27;s share of the legal fees, and won&#x27;t be responsible for any fees when and if the case is successfully appealed.  You will, as a taxpayer, footing the DOJ&#x27;s bill.<p>Any restitution Mr. Lundgren pays will be far higher a return than Microsoft could have gained in a civil case.  As for the investigating body within the government, it gets enriched through forfeiture.  Everybody wins, except the small guy and the taxpayer.<p>Mr. Lundgren might have been in a stronger position if he had not pled guilty to two of the counts.  Whether to sign away your integrity for a potentially lighter sentence is a decision no one should have to make.