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5 November Russian human rights defenders and journalists have a meeting with top-managment of "Microsoft" corporation in New York. The meeting was organized by Human Rights First, a well-known American human rights NGO and international Youth Human Rights Movement (YHRM). The Russian delegation included - Anastasia Denisova, director of Youth Group for Tolerance "ETHnICS" (Krasnodar), Lyudmila Kotova, an editor-in-cheif of VOLGAinform news agency (Samara), Galina Kulebyakina, co-executive of Baikal Environmental Wave (Irkutsk) and Ramil Akhmetgaliev, laywer, legal analyst of Interregional human rights association "AGORA", which protected these activists and journalists from unlawful criminal persecution for an allegedly pirated Microsoft software.
The parties discussed the licensing conditions of the software for non-governmental organization and minor media outlets. After the publication in the New York Times in September 2010, the company announced that it would lauch the new license for 12 countries, including Russia.
Ramil Akhmetgaliev: "In my opinion the meeting was successful. Microsoft listened to our recommendations. We believe it is necessary for Microsoft not only to launch the new licensing program, but as well to change substantially the way company attorneys take part in criminal cases in the regions of Russia".
Luidmila Kotova: "I am glad, that Microsoft turned its attention to the problems of Russia journalists and hope that we will have positive results of our trip. I hope at least that selective persecution of journalists and human rights activists by means of the company's attorneys will be stopped".
Anastasia Denisova: "It was important for us to establish trustworthy relationship with representatives of Microsoft Corporation. The impression is that it did happen".
Source: www.openinform.ru