Microsoft has just launched a new Anti-Piracy Day Campaign (quote from custompc.co.uk):
Meanwhile, in the US, Microsoft has announced that it’s taking legal action against 20 software resellers in nine states, which it says ‘allegedly sold pirated copies of Microsoft Windows XP Professional and multiple versions of Office.’ Microsoft’s attorney, Sharon Cates, explained that ‘it is important to take the economic advantage out of pirating and counterfeiting in order to protect partners and customers.’ She also added that ‘Microsoft will continue to work to protect the channel, through resources and initiatives, from businesses that operate dishonestly.’
Microsoft says that ‘the collective impact of piracy in the U.S. is serious,’ and cites the findings of the Fifth Annual BSA/IDC Global Software Piracy Study, claiming that ‘software piracy and counterfeiting cost the U.S. economy more than $8 billion US in 2007 — roughly the equivalent of paying for the entire National School Lunch Program.’
They even have a great video with Rob Mckenna the Attoney General for Washington State is acting as a sock puppet for MS propaganda by making weak claims based on unvetted statistics. (the video is on the bottom of the article) I know Washington loves MS, but can we please stop shilling for outdated business models through fear mongering and start supporting alternatives for the future of this state. I expect MS lawyers to shill but not our AG.
Arcticstoat on slashdot makes a good point it is Microsoft’s old products that are killing their new products:
Interestingly enough, unauthorized copies of Vista might not be harming the company all that much: reader twitter was among several to contribute links to a related story at Computer World which highlights Microsoft attorney Bonnie MacNaughton’s acknowledgement that pirates prefer Windows XP over Vista and Office 2003 over 2007.
Maybe the issue is the quality of the new products and the unavailability of the old products that is causing the problem.
Michael Masnick also has a great point on how this day of propaganda is inconsistent with Microsoft’s own claims about piracy:
Microsoft announce that today it’s celebrating “antipiracy day”,… Odd, then, that this would be the same company that in the past has admitted that it greatly benefits from piracy of its own products, in establishing worldwide standards and in competing against open source alternatives. The company, apparently, is a bit conflicted.
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