Sometimes it seems like you just cannot win. Already buffeted by US antitrust suits which have found against it, Microsoft is now squaring up for a similar clash with European Union authorities over whether its new Windows 2000 operating system breaks competition rules as well as inquiries on several other matters.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the software giant has discovered that pirates are already flogging illegal copies of its Windows 2000 product before it is even officially released.

Microsoft is employing anti-forgery technology even more complex than that used to prevent counterfeit US currency in a bid to protect its latest product which has taken $1 billion and three years to develop.

Still, it looks as if even they feel they might be banging their heads against a brick wall. One in four programmes installed on computers in the US is illegal and the figures for some other countries are far worse. Already, Microsoft has discovered 100 websites offering downloads of the programme.