Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Sues and Gets Sued
wubo writes, "Microsoft is apparently stepping up its anti-piracy measures by publishing the locations and specifics of their pending lawsuits. Check out the snazzy map — warms me heart and soul." And to even the scales of justice, one of the last remaining class-action antitrust lawsuits filed against Microsoft in a state court is set to go to trial in Iowa later this year. An anonymous reader writes, "Iowa consumers who purchased Microsoft products in the last 12 years are being represented in a class action anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft. The jury trial begins on November 13 and is expected to last 6 months." Bill Gates is on the witness list.
Aw. I live in Iowa; now I wish I had actually bought my MS stuff.
I am sure it will really have an effect on the many people selling pirated software around the world, especially since it is just a map of the US. The US already has the lowest software piracy rate in the world, but at what point is it impossible to reduce the numbers anymore? People will always pirate software, deal drugs, and commit other illegal activities as long as there is profit, and with the distributer being targetted rather than the purchaser, there will always be demand creating a vacuum of supply. Perhaps it would be more profitable to go to wealthy medium-piracy level countries and crack down there instead.
Warhammer forums
The actual list of people getting sued.
This is a good thing. A lot of people have no problems with downloading software or other copyrighted materials illegaly, as long as it is for free. But a lot of people are against selling such items, or making a profit off of it. Unfortunately, the copyright lobby views both groups as filthy stinking pirates, but the public don't really care about the first group, and only view the second group as the real pirates that actually ought to be punished for it.
What Microsoft is doing here, is targeting the second group only. And that is a good thing.
This being Slashdot, I know nobody bothered to read the article before bashing Microsoft, but if you'll look at the list of defendants, they're almost all small time computer sales or software sales companies. Microsoft isn't the RIAA; they don't waste lawsuits suing Grandma or Little Susie because they're running a copy of Windows without a valid product key. What they do care about is companies who sell pirated copies of Windows to consumers for a profit. Some of these consumers even PAY for a pirated copy of Windows and are told they're getting a licensed copy. I know some people will argue with me that this is a good thing, but if you are a consumer who's been sold a pirated copy of Windows without your knowledge, Microsoft will even help you get a free or discounted copy if you just let them know who sold it to you. A lot of people instantly think it's Microsoft's way of getting you to rat on your family friend who's loaned you his install CD and key, but again, that's not who MS is looking for. So before you start crying foul, this sort of site isn't meant to scare you, it's meant to scare the guy selling 1000's of copies of Windows to unsuspecting consumers for a profit.
They're not suing 73 kids with 73 copies of stollen Windows. They're taking down mass-scale producers. They claim to have seized over 32,000 fake CDs, and stopped over 70,000 "auctions". I have no idea what they mean by auctions.
/. article said, Microsoft can actually make MORE money by allowing some piracy. It keeps kids with no cash from switching to Linux, for example. I've always felt MS has somewhat lax copying security on purpose.
If you've just got a copy of Windows on your machine you lifted from work or the net, I wouldn't worry too much. As that recent
I've also felt they deliver a buggy system that degrades over time all by itself on purpose. If forces you to upgrade. I've gone through several Windows machines this decade, but the Mac I bought my wife in 2000 is still kicking, and still quite useful. The difference is in the software.
Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy.
But if you'll notice, they aren't suing end users (ala RIAA), they are suing businesses or people that have made a business out of selling the pirated copies. I wouldn't be surprised if, in many of these cases, it was the end users that turned to Microsoft to report a bogus copy after having issues with their illegitimate and possibly cracked version that they purchased with good faith that it was a legitimate, albeit possibly discounted, copy.
The actions of Microsoft in these cases show that they are trying to improve their image with the end users by persuing the business that deceived them while simultaneously offering said end user a discounted or complimentary legitimate copy to help resolve the situation. Furthermore these actions are also considered to be defence of copyright so that they do not lose that copyright.
My God! It's full of eval()'s.
Ummm, that guy is bitching that an 800MHz Powerbook with 1GB of RAM was slow running 10.2.x, which is a bunch of bullshit since I'm running 10.3.9 on an 800MHz G3 iBook with 640MB of RAM and it runs fine. Hell, we had 333MHz G3 B&W Powermacs with 384MB of RAM that ran OS X 10.1.x just fine when we still had those machines. The guy is a wanker, plain and simple.
Who are they going to push the alternatives to? They just pissed off their existing customer base by selling pirated software while claiming that it was legitimate. They've destroyed their reputation so that their word of mouth refferals are going to plummet. And there is also the distinct possibility that if they were selling pirated copies to inflate their margins then they were probably small enough or dependant enough on that extra margin that they will not survive a serious lawsuit.
Most likely, the customers will be looking for alternatives to that retailer and not for alternatives to Windows.
My God! It's full of eval()'s.
Basically, they improve the engineering rather than just add more features. Good call, in my book.
Eivind.
Doubting the existence of evolution is like doubting the existence of China: It just shows that you're uninformed.
Everyone I know who's complained about WGA has a dodgy copy of windows
I've got TWO legal copies of XP for my current PC. The first was delivered with the PC, but not in the language I preferred. So I bought a second copy.
And I hate the WGA. I hate the fact that Microsoft will automatically inspect my PC every time I turn it on. I hate the fact that if I place too many new components in my PC, Microsoft will rate it as a new PC and will give me troubles. I hate the fact that Microsoft can influence the behaviour of my PC from a distance. And I hate the fact that I am treated like a criminal, while I have no intention of being one (except that I maybe get stimulated by all these flashes of hate to become one).
I've only known one person with a legal windows copy who got screwed by WGA
I'd say that is one too many.