The California-based firm Cybersitter is seeking over $2 billion for copyright violations, conspiracy and misappropriation of trade secrets.
The total being claimed works out to about the price of the software – $40 per copy – multiplied by the amount of copies installed. The company is also accusing the Chinese government of attempting to hack its servers and of violating US criminal industrial espionage statutes.
China’s government and its internet-censorship regime allegedly incorporated 3,000 lines of Cybersitter’s software code into “Project Green Dam” – a mandatory computer program designed to block certain websites. Some 56 million copies were installed.
The Financial Times stated the suit would be extremely difficult to pursue, as it is almost impossible to sue foreign governments under US law and there is no real enforcement mechanism.
JBS.ORG reported that the hope was the federal courts in the US will do everything in their power to hold any guilty parties responsible. This could be thought of as an optimistic if ethical view.