Novell Files Suit Against Another Online Auction User
Lawsuit Alleges Kansas Man Illegally Distributed NetWare Over the Internet
PROVO, Utah, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Novell®, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL - news) announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Joseph C. Mandala of Wichita, Kan., for copyright and trademark infringement.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, alleges that Mandala offered Novell's NetWare® product for sale through an Internet auction site. Novell investigators discovered the product during their regular course of monitoring online auction sites, which product, in this particular case, was offered through eBay's auction site. Investigators acquired several unauthorized NetWare diskettes through the online auction as well as directly from Mandala. The total value of the product acquired is estimated at more than $1.1 million.
''Novell will continue to monitor online auction sites and will take aggressive action to stop the unauthorized distribution of Novell products on such auction sites,'' stated David Bradford, senior vice-president and general counsel for Novell. ''We will not tolerate our sales channel to be undermined by this type of illicit activity.''
Novell investigated over 1,300 cases worldwide in fiscal 1998. More than $11 billion each year is lost to software piracy, according to the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and Software Publisher's Association (SPA). Novell is an active member of both the BSA and SPA.
Novell has established an anti-piracy group and telephone hotline for reporting illegal use of Novell software or making related inquiries. Call 800-PIRATES (800-747-2837) or send e-mail to pirates@novell.com. The anti-piracy group also has a Web site at www.novell.com/programs/piracy.
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