Picture it. You’re a teacher in a formerly Communist country. You have students hungry for knowledge, and limited resources. And on good faith, you buy computers that come with Windows software for your students. The next think you know, you’re facing 5 years in a Siberian prison and a fine of $10,000 US for buying pirated software.

This isn’t a fairy tale, or a teacher’s worst nightmare, it’s something that Alexander Ponosov is living with daily. Alexander is a school principal in the Ural Mountains region, and he claims he bought the computers in good faith, not knowing that the software installed was illegal. He’s got President Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Gorbachev (former USSR leader) in his corner, begging Bill Gates for leniency.

“Show leniency and drop claims against the principal,” wrote Gorbachev. “This teacher, who has dedicated his life to educating children and earns a pitiful wage compared with even the lowest-ranking people at your company, now faces imprisonment in a Siberian penal colony.”

I didn’t know that Siberian prison even existed…I thought that was just something out of the movies. I’m saddened that for all the money Bill Gates has, and for all the money he’s donated to organizations all over the world, that he may allow this man to suffer for 5 years in jail over this.

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