The Washington state Legislature has passed a law making it illegal for manufacturers that use pirated software to sell goods in the state.
Microsoft, which has struggled to stop pirated versions of Windows, Office and other software from being used, particularly in China, lobbied hard for the legislation. Under the new law, a Chinese toy manufacturer that, for example, uses a pirated version of Excel to do its bookkeeping will be liable for damages.
The state's attorney general and companies will have the right to pursue injunctions in civil court to prevent that manufacturer's toys from being sold in the state. In addition, the law could affect retailers in the state that sell the product.
The Senate passed an amended version of SB 5449 on Monday in a 39-7 vote. The House approved a new version HB 1495 on Tuesday in an 85-11 vote. The bill will now go to the governor for final approval.
Microsoft is on a campaign to pass similar legislation in several states. Louisiana is the only other state to pass a similar anti-piracy law.
Boeing and Weyerhaeuser both supported the bill, according to Microsoft.
Jan Teague, president and chief executive of the Washington Retail Association, expressed disappointment. "We?re disappointed that we didn?t have more time to work on the bill and that we had asked for the summer to do that," she said. The association was able to get some language protecting retailers into the final bill, she said.
The bill will affect retailers that make $50 million or more in annual sales and which have a direct contract with the manufacturer. Retailers would have 18 months to change manufacturers or persuade their manufacturers to pay for the software in question.
Microsoft did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Christina DaRe Malin Akerman Melissa Joan Hart Bianca Kajlich Giulianna Ramirez
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