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Chris Jacob
I will laugh my ass off if they have a cop standing just inside the door to arrest all the plaintiffs as they show up to sue M$oft for naginizing their illegal software.
I actually handle license compliance for a software company. The reaction out of China is not surprising at all. On a weekly basis we receive emails threatening to sue us, telling us they contacted the attorney general, threatening us of spying, saying they sent an email to the FBI because they feel that being required to purchase additional licenses is extortion. It's pretty ridiculous.
I think they are right in doing this. We stole the software, and we dont deserve it. If someone purchased it from someone who claimed it was legit, now thats different. Im quite sure a call to Micro$oft will work things out of a illegal copy was purchased unsuspectingly.
They started to introduce mass-licensing programs for companies, but still many companies use pirated copies.
And that's I believe MS' point:
They're not after the small citizen that can barely afford a PC, let alone the OS, but after huge companies with more than enough budget to buy legal copies of their software.
@dosthebos2: It doesn't matter how difficult the developers make it, so long as there's a large enough market for it, like, say, 90% of the global computing base, people will always find a way. Better mouse traps always get a few better mice.
I agree that Microsoft has the right to protect their IP, however think about this. A genuine copy of XP pro in china goes for 1,000 CNY (about $147 USD) which is about what a retail copy goes for here. Now when you look at that it's not a big deal to someone in the US. However the average Chinese yearly salary is something like 7,000CNY. So I don't know anyone who would be able to justify spending 1/7th of their yearly salary on an operating system. A professionally pirated copy of XP Pro is only 5CNY so the choice is obvious, pirate.
If you can't put it into perspective think a copy of XP pro costing $1,500. Would any of you buy it then? I think not. I mean look at software that is that much basically Adobe CS Master collections. And I would say I could estimate that like 60% of people who have CS4 at this point pirated it.
So basically my point, yes M$ should be able to protect their IP, but to the same tune, thy should think about adjusting the price to be more affordable.
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
They started to introduce mass-licensing programs for companies, but still many companies use pirated copies.
And that's I believe MS' point:
They're not after the small citizen that can barely afford a PC, let alone the OS, but after huge companies with more than enough budget to buy legal copies of their software.
10/31/08
"Bill Gates Blows $2.5 Million Decking Out His Personal "Cubicle""
Really? makes me feel a little sad I had to give up getting tires for my car, so I could pay for his $300 trashcan he has.
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
NOOOOOOO!!! WW3!!!
just like WW2
Allies:
US - MS
French - Apple
UK - EA
Axis:
China - Hitler
German - Pron
Japan - Pron
we all know Allies wins
so please no WW3 i don't wanna
choose between Good and Pron :(
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
If you can't put it into perspective think a copy of XP pro costing $1,500. Would any of you buy it then? I think not. I mean look at software that is that much basically Adobe CS Master collections. And I would say I could estimate that like 60% of people who have CS4 at this point pirated it.
So basically my point, yes M$ should be able to protect their IP, but to the same tune, thy should think about adjusting the price to be more affordable.
10/31/08
10/31/08