A Schoolteacher in the Guy Fawkes mask. The Alexander Ponosov Case.
Published on: 28 September 2016
In 2006, a criminal case was initiated in respect of the head-master of a secondary school in the Sepych village, Alexander Mikhaylovich Ponosov. The case was initiated following the results of inspection of the software installed in the school computer class room. The damage caused to Microsoft Corporation by the use of unlicensed products in the school headed by Ponosov made, according to the public prosecutor's office, 266,000 rubles and some kopecks.
Ponosov maintained that he had no relation to the installation of the unlicensed software.
The general public and many political figures defended the school teacher. On 5 February 2007, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation held a meeting at which its members discussed the situation in details. Anatoly Kucherena supported accused Alexander Ponosov and noted that the situation was developing in a very strange manner, since the school head-master is a mere recipient of computer hardware, rather than a supplier and far less a manufacturer. Therefore, all of the accusations are, at least, insubstantial. This case was heard in many judicial instances. The Presidium of the Perm Territorial Court completely satisfied Ponosov’s supervisory complaint to the judgment of conviction in December 2008 only.