More piracy suits from Microsoft

Microsoft Corp. took its national campaign against software piracy to federal court Thursday, accusing four companies of illegally distributing the computer giant's software. The lawsuits are the latest of more than 100 filed by the Redmond, Washingtion-based company in recent years, accusing mostly small resellers of distributing counterfeit or unlicensed versions of popular Microsoft software such as Windows 95 and Office Professional 97.

The four Pennsylvania companies were accused in separate civil actions in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. Microsoft charges that two of them -- L&M Computer of Philadelphia and R30 Computers of Berwyn -- of allegedly distributing counterfeit copies of software.