Russian court throws out Microsoft "piracy" case

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) A Russian court today threw out a criminal case against a village school teacher accused of using pirated Microsoft software in his school, local media reported.

Alexander Ponosov has been adopted as a national hero in Russia where his case has been portrayed as a David-and-Goliath struggle. President Vladimir Putin and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev have spoken out in his support.

The headmaster of a school in the Perm region, Ponosov went on trial earlier this month after local prosecutors accused him of violating Microsoft's intellectual property rights. If convicted he could have faced five years in prison.

Interfax news agency reported that a regional court decided to close the case after today's hearing on the grounds that the alleged crime was ''insignificant.'' Russia is under pressure to crack down on widespread video, music and computer piracy as part of its bid for membership of the World Trade Organisation.

REUTERS SP KP1749