Microsoft Korea asserts that the size of the fines is reasonable. "In most cases, the fines are less than $5,000 U.S. If it is $10,000, it is a big fine," Kim said. The government, not Microsoft, retains all of the fines. To recover money for copyright violations, Microsoft has to file a civil action. Sometimes, companies craft a global settlement before trial that resolves both the fines and civil penalties.