Microsoft To Begin Checking For Piracy

Curious Yellow 82 writes "Microsoft will begin checking for pirated copies of its Windows software when users attempt to update. Security updates are supposed to be exempt from the check. Upon detection of pirated software the user will be given the oppportunity to purchase a legitimate copy of the software for a discounted price, upon providing proof of purchase etc."

Comments

Uhh

[daveschroeder]

the user will be given the oppportunity to purchase a legitimate copy of the software for a discounted price, upon providing proof of purchase (!!)

That will be an interesting feat.

And, jokes aside, "proof of purchase" of what? If they mean a possible purchase of a machine with, or a standalone copy of, a counterfeit version of Windows, assuming the user purchased it legitimately in good faith, how in the hell is this the user's responsibility or fault? I'm not talking about someone who got Windows from a guy in an overcoat for $10 on a street corner (not to mention you probably wouldn't have a "proof of purchase" for that kind of sale); I'm talking about purchases reasonably believed to be legitimate. No, this doesn't mean that a software company has to honor pirated or illegal copies even if the user believed it to be legal for whatever reason, but it seems like this really sticks it to the user (not to mention the internet community as a whole by not providing OS updates, the fact they claim to be providing security updates aside[1]) as opposed to working to target the entities they believe to be illegally selling Windows...especially if the customer has a "proof of purchase" of an illegitimate copy of Windows in the first place, which presumably contains some element of contact information for the source if it can reasonably considered to constitute any semblance of "proof of purchase". They should be offering amnesty and/or discounts to people who are running straight-up pirated versions of Windows with no "proof of purchase" at all, if this is any attempt to reach out to people running unlicensed copies!

(Make no mistake: I'm not saying Microsoft is obligated to honor illegally purchased copies of Windows, whether they're pirated, or even ones purchased innocently and in good faith. But they'd be a hell of a lot better citizen of the internet community if they didn't withhold updates in either instance.)

[1] Windows Service Pack 2 would apparently not be included in this, for example, because it's not a "security update"; but it can be strongly argued that SP2 did more for general Windows XP security than any "security update" ever has. In other words, not updating the multitude of for-whatever-reason non-legal copies of Windows out there does everyone involved a major disservice, not the least of which is the rest of the world surrounding them.

Re:Uhh

[Ingolfke]

If I bought a new DeWalt drill for really cheap of the Internet, it broke, and I went to get it repaired only to find out that I had purchased a knock-off product I wouldn't expect DeWalt to fix it. I'd go to the vendor who sold me it and take whatever action I could against them. Why is Microsoft any different?

Re:Uhh

[Ryosen]

>>Recieving stolen goods is also a crime

You have to be proven to have known that the goods were stolen, otherwise there is no crime.

What the GP is talking about isn't someone buying the PC out of the back of a truck. It is someone who buys the computer from a retailer, in **good faith**, and the retailer, unknown to the purchaser, is using pirated copies of Windows. This is a common occurance with white box PCs and isn't limited to EBay sales.

The people affected by this aren't the ones buying and installing XP themselves. They are the ones that bought "no-name" PCs with XP pre-installed where the retailer is not a valid OEM licensee.

Re:Uhh

[BVis]

Your DeWalt drill doesn't cause problems for other people if it breaks. Windows installations missing security patches (as people will shut off automatic updates for fear of being caught) become zombies very quickly, adding to the spread of viruses, spam, etc.

Also, the copy of Windows in question isn't likely to be a knock-off, it most likely is the same OS that you can buy off the shelf. A better analogy would be if you bought a genuine DeWalt drill from someone who wasn't an authorized DeWalt dealer, and the (genuine OEM DeWalt) batteries had a habit of exploding and hurting people around the user. More than likely DeWalt would issue a recall on *all* batteries, and more than likely they'd be pretty lenient about making sure the drill was purchased through authorized channels. In essence, the safety of the community would take precedence over the other factors involved. (Also, the effort to check where the drills came from would cause serious headaches, logistically. It would be more expedient to just replace the battery when it's sent in and not worry about the legitimacy.)

Granted, we're talking about risk of physical injury vs. network security, but IMHO the obligation is the same: if you put out a broken product, you have an obligation (IMHO) to put out a fix. Anything less is corporate irresponsibility that could subsequently expose the company to liability, should a loss occur.

Of course, MS doesn't care about that, since they have better lawyers than just about anyone else.

Some thoughts.

[AnObfuscator]

I wrote about this earlier today on bitsofnews.com. I'll save you the click and paste my thoughts here.

I am not sure how MS expects to keep pushing this down people's throats.
Most people don't want to be treated as thieves, and I can see some general backlash coming to MS from this.

I really don't see how this will, in the long run, benefit MS. Most people in the 1st world buy a computer from a major distributer, and use the (usually) legit copy of Windows from that. I'm guessing that that one-third number includes nations like India and China, where people can't afford the 1st world pricing scheme of Windows.

Oh, wait, silly me, why don't these poor people just use XP Starter Edition? Right. That's the ticket.

Do they seriously think this will decrease piracy in the 3rd world? All they've really done is cripple their product. They now have several issues to deal with.

This "Genuine Advantage" program is tantamount to legitimizing "pirated" XP. To many, I suspect it sends the message: "Ok, use pirated XP if you want, we'll just give special benefits to those who pay us." It's almost like a "shareware" model of distribution. Seeing how they are trying to push "XP Starter Edition", I seriously doubt this is their intent -- but it looks like they've emasculated that product entirely.

Simply, Pirated XP Home/Pro is still less crippled than XP SE. So for the 3rd world market, it's a choice between paying for a highly crippled OS, or getting a slightly crippled OS for free. I don't see many people paying for the privilege of less features.

This is also a potential gold mine for alternative OS's, such as the newer GNU/Linux systems pushing ease-of-install; Ubuntu, Mepis, Mandravia, Fedora spring to mind immediately, and there are many others.

Given the choice of a super-crippled SE, a somewhat-crippled XP Home/Pro, or a fully-functional GNU/Linux, GNU/Linux becomes an increasingly "no-brainer" solution.

Somewhat interesting user behavior

[ChrisF79]

Its kind of funny when you think about it--users steal the software and then go back to get the software maintenance. It's kind of like someone stealing a car from the lot of a dealership, then taking it back a few months later for it's customary 3,000 mile oil change.

Trustworthy Computing?

[Helmholtz]

Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but doesn't this place the incentive on insecure code. Maximizing the number of "security patch releases" will also help (potentially) maximize revenue by quickly identifying "pirated" versions of Windows, causing said "offenders" to purchase legit versions.

If Windows were to become secure and relatively bug free, this would cause their "pirate detection" system to become very inefficient, as there wouldn't be a great need for using Windows Update.

I may be completely off base, but it does seem plausible. Perhaps we need Mythbusters ;)

MS isn't doing anything wrong...

[BTWR]

I don't see this as anything wrong.

I mean, we have MS losing money on a pirated copy of windows. Fine. We can argue the merits of software piracy all night. But... when MS releases a patch, they are spending millions of dollars on R&D, advertising, lawyer fees, etc - this is supposed to be for legitimate users only. When you buy any software, you are understanding that this $50/$200/$whatever cost also includes free patches in the purchase price.

It'd be like someone stealing a car from GM - fine, they stole it. But imagine if they later came to GM with their stolen car and asked for the $1000 engine recall upgrade. Nope - that's for legitimate carowners only. The $25,000 GM prices the car takes into account the small chance that they may have to set a recall.

Plus, it's not like the RIAA. Nowhere does it say that MS will be prosecuting every illegal copy it finds. It simply says "hey, if you stole a copy, then that's one thing. But don't try and get free support from us too."

Want XP? ( Pirate it first for a discount )

[popo]

Let me get this straight... if you're caught with a pirated version you're offered a discount? (or a free version altogether) Seems like a great way to shop!

Only suckers will pick up a boxed copy from the store from now on...



"they can still fill out a counterfeit report and receive a copy of Windows XP Home Edition for $99 or a copy of Windows XP Professional Edition for $149, Lazar said.

Windows XP Home normally sells for $199 and Windows XP Professional Edition usually costs $299."

No-Broadband Users Screwed?

[Xesdeeni]

So now, I can't download the update at work, where we have broadband, and transport it home (via CD or thumb drive) because I can't validate my home installation!? I have two machines at home. One is connected via dialup, and the other (an HTPC) is not connected to the internet at all.

Do you know how long 266 MB takes to download over dialup!? OVER 11 1/2 HOURS!!

Xesdeeni

Re:Yawn

[Kenja]

"Bambino's don't do this"

Sorry, but if I buy a computer that comes with a pirated copy of the OS (from a white box OEM) I will go after them tooth and nail should I find out.

I write software for a living. So long as I expect to get paid for my work it would be very hypocritical of me to support the illegal software trade.

They better get this right

[rabel]

Most people couldn't produce a "proof-of-purchase" after a few days. I know I couldn't prove my copy of Win2000 is legitimate, even though I legitimately purchased my copy with my PeeCee from my local computer store.

In any event, if there are any hiccups on the validation process and Joe and Jane Doe Computer User get any bit of hassle from Microsoft when they do a Windows Update, I expect there will be a backlash.

Hopefully, Red Hat and other Linux vendors are positioned properly to catch the fallout. "Windows Validation problems? Switch to Red Hat Linux and never pay for your Windowing Operating System again! Free Games with every download!"