It has begun consideration on the merit of the criminal case against former editor of Samara branch of Novaya Gazeta Sergei Kurt-Adjiev. Reminding, he is charged with the use of pirate software Adobe for making the issues of the newspaper. The indictment points the aggregate loss came up to 104,804 rubles and 76 kopecks. In the meanwhile, the representative of Adobe and Microsoft Sergei Barchugin refused to tell the amount of the loss in the court as he did not see the fact of using the pirate software to have been really established. However, Alexander Sudarev, who represented 1C Company, affirmed that “Novaya Gazeta in Samara” had used the counterfeit version of the 1C program. His chief argument was that “only a specially instructed expert can manage 1C program”.   

Sergei Kurt-Adjiev submitted the documents and even the disk containing the program, to the court. Even the representative of 1C did not put in doubt the authenticity of the program on the disk. Moreover, he suddenly reported to the court that his corporation was willing to get reconciled with the journalist in case he offered a public apology for having used the pirate software. Mr. Kurt-Adjiev responded that he is going to prove his innocence and that he relates this criminal prosecution to his professional activities.

The next court proceeding is to take place19 May.