OSIA Dismisses Gartner Linux Piracy Claim

Anonymous Coward writes "The Inquirer is reporting that a claim by Gartner that Linux desktops are used for pirated copies of windows has been dismissed by the Open Source Industry Association (OSIA). OSIA told The Sydney Morning Herald that 'if Gartner's conclusion that pre-installing Linux encouraged people to steal copies of Windows were correct.... It would be possible to state that pre-installing Windows encourages people to pirate application software.'"

Comments

Scraping the bottom of the barrel...

[sugapablo]

Now we're really scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

What's next?

=) Installing cars with accelerators encourages drivers to speed?
=) Wrapping burgers in paper encourages people to litter?
=) Putting two idiots on the ballot in November encourages voters to make idiotic decisions?

People need to RELAX.

I never bought SAP R/3...

[NoSuchGuy]

Of course, back in 1995 I bougth my Pentium 90MHz 16MB with preinstalled Windows for Workgroups.

I never bought SAP R/3. Am I a thief?

Re:Yes, but

[X3J11]

... preinstalling Windows doesn't encourage me to pirate software. Microsoft's inadequacy is what would (note would, not does) encourage me to pirate.

Preinstalling Windows just encourages me to curse Microsoft even more than is normal, where normal is a whole bloody lot.

Re:There should be an MS tax, no there shouldn't..

[null-sRc]

pre-installing Linux is the same as shipping the machine with no OS whatsoever.

oh come on! linux isn't THAT bad! :P

End User Refund Agreement (EURA)

[voixderaison]

Hmm... hidden in the fine print of the Windows EULA, there seems to be a previously undiscovered reciprocity clause, based on the Golden Rule:

For each copy of Windows (TM) that an End User has been required to purchase with a system that was used for installation of Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris x86, NetBSD, OPENSTEP, FreeDOS, OS/2, or other non-Windows system, the End User is entitled to purchase a bare system and install an instance of Windows for Worms (TM). Users may issue certificates to third parties, transferring their rights to these installations, should they have no use themselves for automated worm propagation devices.

I have several unused licenses! Anybody want one?

Slashdot makes news.google.com front page

[stormcoder]

I just saw this posting made the google news front page. Since when did /. count as an official news source. The link leads directly to the comments page. Color me impressed.

Uhhh

[GoMMiX]

"It would be possible to state that pre-installing Windows encourages people to pirate application software."

O_O *whistles and walks away*

Using my magic babelfish to read the article:

[tod_miller]

that pre-installing Linux encouraged people to steal copies of Windows So much BS in this, I had to feed it through 3 times.

Iteration 1:

By not forcing people to pay for windows are OEM level, we are opening up a chance that they will aquire a copy without paying for it

Iteration 2:

We have been able to ensure people keep buying windows by changing the requrements so much, people upgrade [usually through a new system] and we catch them through OEM upgrades [aside: haha they don't even pay for an upgrade license!]. If people were able to sidestep our monopolistic OEM don't-sell-PC's-without-windows-or-we-kill-your-fi rstborn happy licensing program, they may try to aquire windows for free.

Iteration 3:

If people buy linux desktops, they might not even bother to pirate our software, and stick with linux, we are worried that by not forcing new computer owners to use windows, they may chose a different operating system. We are trying to use piracy as a lever, because our bestest friends at the RIAA made it sound so cool.

Piracy has nothing to do with iut, they are trying to legitimize the illegal manner in which they force people buying new systems [through mainstream vendors] to buy windows. They are loosing power on this, and realise that when companies see higher margins, they will sell PC's with an OS, the user will buy it, use it, and the worst thing, is never even know what windows is, or maybe was :-)

Re:Who are GARTNER anyway...?

[Anonymous Coward]

You're a lucky man. When I asked if it was Linux friendly, the chic behind the counter gave me this weird look and said "You're the virgin here, you tell me..." and then the Quake dude was like

DENIED!!

Bah!

Based on this

[base3]

It would be possible to state that pre-installing Windows encourages people to pirate application software.

I, as will any responsible citizen who respects copyrights, intend to contact Orin Hatch and ask him to immediately add a rider to the INDUCE Act outlawing Microsoft Windows.

It's quite simple...

[monopole]

The evil pirates (otherwise known as users or consumers) buy Linux in order to steal SCO's Intellectual Property and having acomplished that they then move on to pirating Windows and installing that!

Re:Pirating Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

Lets just stick to real computers please.