Last week Mr Ponosov was convicted by a Russian judge on a charge of using pirated Microsoft software that was pre-installed in 12 computers he bought for his school in the remote Urals region. However, instead of a maximum five years prison term, he was let off without sentence because the judge deemed that the financial damage caused to Microsoft was insignificant.

The case of the principal of a remote provincial middle school had captured worldwide attention, not least because Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the prosecution as ridiculous and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev publicly appealed to Bill Gates in an open letter to intervene.

However, Microsoft, which is on a crusade to stamp out piracy in parts of Eastern Europe and Asia, stood firm and did not intervene. Piracy in all sectors of the economy is rife throughout Russia and the authorities are desperate to get it under control because of the Government’s desire for Russia to become a member of the World Trade Organization.

On the other hand, picking on a dedicated middle school principal who obviously bought the computers for his school without any intent on making a profit was obviously not a wise choice for the prosecutor. The persecuted principal instantly became a champion of the common folk throughout the nation and the case was televised.