A ramshackle, two-storey concrete building in western Beijing is at the heart of the battle to stop piracy in China.
The building is the home of Beijing Central Press Union Digital Technology, one of the country's largest manufacturers of compact disks. The company's website proudly states that it was founded by 13 units of the People's Publishing House, including the large San Lian bookstore chain and the People's Music Publishing House.
But more importantly, it is the target of a lawsuit by Microsoft, which alleges that Beijing Central Press - along with two other CD companies in Tianjin - is churning out thousands of illegal copies of Microsoft software.
The lawsuit marks a change of tactics by the US giant. Where Microsoft used to line up its lawyers against corporate consumers, this is the first time the company has filed suit against a manufacturer. That is because Chinese firms increasingly are moving into mass production with the goal of exporting cheap copies of expensive software.
Beyond Microsoft's own concerns, the case is a sign of the deep roots piracy has within the country.
Many state-owned firms, lured by big profits, ignore top-level orders to halt piracy, an indication that it has become part of the fabric of the country's economic system. China Central Television (CCTV) is a major consumer of pop music from Taiwan, Hong Kong and the west, but it does not pay a single yuan in royalties.
Visitors to Beijing quickly notice how many office buildings and restaurants openly play music by popular western musician Kenny G, who never sees a cent in royalties.
