Microsoft goes after pirates

From the Associated Press...

Microsoft Corp. has filed 26 lawsuits accusing U.S. companies of selling pirated software, the latest move in its ramped-up efforts to boost sales by cracking down on illegal copies....

The lawsuits are the latest in Microsoft's increasingly aggressive steps to curb piracy of its two flagship products _ and cash cows _ Windows and Office. The company has begun widespread distribution of a program, called Windows Genuine Advantage, that checks whether users are running legitimate copies of Windows. And it scored a coup earlier this year when China agreed to crack down on piracy.

Redmond-based Microsoft still rakes in billions of dollars in profits from Windows, but the market is growing more saturated. That's left the company more eager to curb illegal copies, in the hopes those users will buy legitimate versions.

"We're worried about it because it does seriously affect our business, in the sense of people not paying for the research and development but reaping the benefits," said Mary Jo Schrade, a Microsoft senior attorney.

Schrade said the intent of the lawsuits isn't necessarily to recoup costs but instead to raise awareness and prevent further piracy.

I was alarmed when the automatic updates on my two main computers included the Windows Genuine Advantage. Both computers were bought from the same place, but there was that nagging fear that somehow the operating system wasn't licensed and both computers would be locked down by the upgrade.

They both were declared genuine.

I can understand Microsoft's concern, but the legalities of which is and isn't a legal copy remain somewhat vague. When visiting the shop where I got my computers (run by an old family friend) he showed me a stack of partially demolished laptops, many which bore the certificate showing the operating system's license.

"Well at least you have the OS licenses to use on other computers."

"No," he told me, "those licenses are for only those computers."

"That's not very fair," I replied with chagrin, "Microsoft got their money, and now what's paid for can't be used?"

"Yep, that's the way it works."

I would feel a bit more sympathetic about Microsoft's fight against pirated Windows OS's if Microsoft's licenses were a bit more friendly. If the thing's paid for, then it's paid for. If the hardware goes bad, requiring a new computer, does it make sense that the richest guy in America wants you to pay him all over against for the same, exact software?

Posted by Danny Carlton at July 18, 2006 5:22 AM