Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc. are among software companies that lost $13.5 billion to program pirates and counterfeiters in Europe last year. Their message to lawmakers: Learn from the U.S. and punish the thieves. As the European Union considers changes to its intellectual property rules, it needs to make sure that higher damage payments deter pirates, who often benefit because of insufficient fines, said Warren Weertman, manager of legal affairs for Washington-based Business Software Alliance. The group's members include Microsoft, Adobe, Apple Inc. and Siemens AG.