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Why Software Piracy is Good for Microsoft
jcphil writes "Salon has an article that explains why Microsoft has toned down its anti-piracy actions in China and other developing markets. The answer is simple: due to the network effect, the more users you have, the greater your strength in the marketplace. And it doesn't matter if their Windows is pirated or not. So, in effect, software piracy in countries like China helps Microsoft to compete with Linux." Meanwhile, the RIAA doesn't feel the same logic applies to record sales in the U.S., and has started an ad campaign to convince the public that sharing music hurts artists.
Suck my jumper cable!
-Us
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
being hooked up at McDonalds is beneficial to the corporation because you don't end up spending your money at wendy's.
MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
I just heard some sad news on talk radio - mathematian/cosmologist Stephen Hawking was found dead in his Cambridge home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his music, there's no denying his contributions to hardcore gangsta rap culture. Truly an great rap star.
to impeach the Cheney-Rumsfeld dictatorship.
Be patriotic: Smoke Amerikan Grown Ganja !!
Were you born knowing this? Did your god tell you previous to your inception? In reality you've known this (or you've had an opinion regarding this) for a while. Unlikely as it may be to you it's doubtful you've known it always. (end smart ass comment, I couldnt resist so i'm AC)
Sharman's contracts with legitimate businesses amount to owning a piece of a front business for organized crime: They aren't running a loan sharking operation, they help run a respectable restaurant that just happens to be built on a basement where people that don't promptly pay interest on personal loans get their legs broken. Kazaa is built a huge pirate network that they are now trying to sell real estate for "respectable" front businesses. How many big shot artists will sign up to have the music distributed through Cornerband on Kazaa rather than Atlantic or Sony Music Entertainment? How many new European broadband customers will the relatively-small Tiscali ISP get through Kazaa compared to Wanadoo, Deutche Telekom and all the other European state-supported telecommunications companies already offering ADSL at better rates?
Remember, since u will all hypocritically wave the flag of free speech on /. while trying to supress something u disagree with, make sure to vote this as a "Troll" rather than "Insightful." Thks!
Please, think of the baby seals, you heartless bastard!