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The Empire Strikes Back - in China

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the oh-no-agreements-at-all dept.

jaymzter writes: "Reuters is reporting that Microsoft is dumping $750 million into China over the next three years. According to MS CEO Steve Ballmer, "What's good for the local industry in every country is good for Microsoft", especially when that other country is actually promoting and developing home grown Linux. From the article it looks like MS is willing to overlook China's legendary software 'sharing' as long as the government stays tight with Windows."

3 of 308 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Microsofts point of view... by dubiousmike · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Having worked for a few commercial software companies, one being a music software company that was one of the more pirated at the time, I found that the company's standpoint on piracy was that it was not all that bad, in most cases.

    Those who will use your software in a professional capacity will usually pay for it.

    Those who will not use it in a professional capacity, will learn it and possible work for an employer who either already owns it or will likely buy it for said "now former non-professional" to use it.

    At the end of the day, you have an increased user base. Revenue doesn't really change as the non-professionals wouldn't have paid for it anyway.

    Of course, I didn't work for Microsoft or a similar company who's products are meant for absolutely everyone (in their book) and thus every pirated copy really is considered lost revenue.

  2. Very likely by einhverfr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Agreed with your points, but there are a few more things to consider:

    Microsoft really is lagging in the Chinese market (200:1 copies of licensed Linux to Windows according to some estimates). This is because the only competition to pirated Windows at the moment comes from Linux.

    Also, Gates at one point make a comment to Money magiazine (in 1998) where he stated that they need to get the Chinese addicted to software, so they will start paying for it. This has seriously hurt Microsoft's image in China (can you say Opium War?)

    Finally, the major anti-piracy cases Microsoft has tried to bring in China have been ill-timed and seriously backfired.

    So Microsoft is coming in from behind in the fight against Linux in China, and it is trying to make up for past blunders...

    --

    LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
  3. Re:Microsofts point of view... by _Upsilon_ · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Those who will use your software in a professional capacity will usually pay for it. Those who will not use it in a professional capacity, will learn it and possible work for an employer who either already owns it or will likely buy it for said "now former non-professional" to use it. At the end of the day, you have an increased user base. Revenue doesn't really change as the non-professionals wouldn't have paid for it anyway.
    This is essentially the point of view which I've looked upon all this for years.

    I believe that there should be a 'personal use' license for most of the big software packages out there. They could make it downloadable (even if it did require registartion) or put it in the stores without hard-copy manuals, or a box. Sell them in a shrinkwrapped jewel case and price it like an audio CD.

    The pros would still pay for it, and it would do wonders for increasing the user base.

    I believe, IMHO, that people would be more than willing to pay for good software if the prices were not as absurd as they are now (for big packages anyways, think MS Office, or Adobe PhotoShop)

    Geoff Holden