RSSMicrosoft Steps Up Anti-Piracy Effort in China
By Ed Oswald | Published November 7, 2007, 11:52 AM
Microsoft is trying to fight piracy in China by ensuring that more new computers in the region come with genuine copies of Windows pre-installed at the factory.
The Redmond company said Wednesday that it had come to an agreement with the nation's second largest computer manufacturer, Founder, which includes a deal to resell Microsoft hardware as well.
Wednesday's agreement follows a similar one with Lenovo, where the #1 computer maker agreed to preload the Windows OS and other Microsoft products.
As part of the agreement -- which Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer called an "essential part" of its Chinese strategy -- Windows will be installed on nearly every personal computer sold, and on about 40 percent of all business computers.
Founder declined to provide any details on the amount it paid Microsoft to close the deal. It did say that the deal also allows it to place Windows Live software on the machines for a period of two years.
Ballmer did not directly mention piracy in his comments to the press following the signing of the agreement, however it is all but certain to be at the heart of the deal. China has a huge piracy problem: up to 82 percent of all software used is illegally obtained, according to the Business Software Alliance.
China does not care either way. If the government says they want it they take it. And maybe they will pay a pitting if the notion crosses their mind. I would like to see MS do s*** in China. They would send their corporate officials heads back to Redmond in a box without a second thought. They take what they want when they want, any way they want. And if you piss them off they taint your imports with poison, and threaten a nuclear missile up your ass.
Point is. Ms is not going to intimidate them with anything. If China wants to do it, They will. Its not like its not hard to attain illegal version just about anywhere in China for a buck or two on the street. Just saying...
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|So making deals with manufacturers is supposed to "intimidate" China how?
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|It is more like an attempt to prevent linux to be known there...
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|Dude, if they were the least bit interested in being "legitimate", they'd be using it. Instead they are pirating Windows.
I'm sure it is still, somehow, Microsoft's fault that they chose to use an OS illegally versus using a free, open source OS like linux that was probably easier to get, would run faster on low-end equipment would be, erm...illegal?
So let's hear it.
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|It already is...
IIRC, the Chinese government started "Red Flag" linux to avoid dependency on the capitalist giant that is Microsoft.
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|Well said.
Even if Windows was available for free, it is too much of a legal pain in the arse when compared to the freedom GNU/Linux has to offer.
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|...and yet very few in China actually use it. They'd rather pirate Windows. Go figure.
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|Yead, I guess that does baffle the bullshyte out of me.
Nonetheless, Windows has a 15+ year headstart and Free software is starting to become a threat to its domination.
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|You miss the point - it was not 3 months ago this website was showing how MS was letting the copies of Vista be sold for $3, and what wasn't sold was pirated without any oversight. MS is doing the work of the local drug dealer - it has given away the free samples, now it's time for the Chinese to pay the piper [er, dealer]. The company has found this to work well lately - just look at the attack on Google with the free Search Server application, and the free (or better) XP on the Classmates for Nigeria.
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|Your point?
I don't see Apple trying to sell cheap computers to the masses in China. I don't see them all drooling over Linux either...
Yet they'll pirate Windows, and hell, even *pay* for it.
Your drug reference completely falls apart when you realize Linux is available in Chinease, and has been for ages. Why pay for your drug, when you ca get (what many people call better) for free?
just look at the attack on Google with the free Search Server application
I love it. They charge you, they're Evil™, they give it away, they're Evil™.
You're an idiot. It had to be said.
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|The only way (not only for MS) to step up anti-piracy effort is to MAKE QUALITY SOFTWARE and charge NORMAL prices for it. As in not charging $300 for a friggin DAM program, which before was 3 times cheaper. Anyhow, QUALITY and PROPER pricing is the only way out.
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|Windows XP Pro Retail is ~$300. Windows Vista Ultimate is ~$330.
A difference of $30 plus you get MCE.
Go suck an egg, troll.
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|Go on newegg and get an OEM copy of Vista Home Premium for $112 or get the Ultimate version for $180. I agree with your argument for quality since people have a lot of complaints on this "new" OS (they did the same for xp, remember) but why would you pay $300 for a RETAIL COPY?? All you're getting is the pretty box with crappy instructions and tech support when you could find the same information online like they do.
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|You made a good point with the pricing...your "troll" comment took you down a couple of pegs.
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|If Windows was sold for $1.00 people would still pirate it instead. It is not about the price, it's about getting something without paying for it.
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|...and your rating of my post means more than squat to me why? The dude was trolling, case closed.
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|++ :)
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|"up to 82 percent of all software used is illegally obtained, according to the Business Software Alliance."
42% of that is systems running FOSS (that, according to them is a lost sale, and thus piracy).
The other 30% they pulled directly from their rears.
10% doesn't sound so bad, does it?
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