3 O.C. Firms Named in Microsoft Suit

Microsoft Corp. has filed suit against nine Southland firms--three in Orange County--as part of an ongoing effort to crack down on software counterfeiting.

The software giant accused Nova Tek of Orange, Pan Computer of Santa Ana and PD Software of Westminster of selling fake copies of Office Professional 97. The complaints, filed last week in federal court in Los Angeles, also allege that six other companies were either selling pirated Microsoft CDs, installing illegal copies of software on hard drives, or doing both. Officials at the Orange County companies did not return calls for comment.

Microsoft will not disclose how much the alleged counterfeit products were worth until the trial proceeds, officials said.