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BusinessWeek Advocates Microsoft Piracy

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-like-they-have-anything-to-lose dept.

xzvf writes "In a lengthy editorial, BusinessWeek advocates allowing users in China and India to pirate Microsoft software so that it can obtain the same level of market share there as it has in the US and Europe. From the piece: 'If Microsoft succeeds in discouraging piracy of Windows in China and India, it is far more likely to drive the user of the pirated software into the Linux camp than it is to steer them into the land of paid-up Windows users. Microsoft's IP management strategy in China and India should instead focus on securing the victory of Windows on the desktops of all PC users. That may require deliberately lax enforcement efforts against pirated copies of Windows for the short and medium term. Only after the Linux threat lessens might Microsoft have the luxury of tightening up piracy protections, as it is now doing in the West. Microsoft can afford to be patient.'"

3 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. BusinessWeek Can Explain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    BusinessWeek Advocates Microsoft Piracy
    No, no, you have it all wrong.

    BusinessWeek was just wondering, like, if any of its readers or anyone they know ... had like ... an "extra" copy of Windows Vista lying around that BusinessWeek could use for a little while.

    It's totally cool if you don't want to but, like, everyone's doing it and you get to use each license like three times before they stop considering it 'genuine' so BusinessWeek doesn't know what you're afraid of. You're not afraid are you? You're not going to wuss out on BusinessWeek like that dweeb BusinessEthics, are you?

    This is so stupid, Windows would rather have me using this than something else or telling everyone not to use Windows at all ... and it's not like BusinessWeek would spend that much money on Windows anyways. They don't call me 'BusinessWeek' because I spend $600 per Windows copy you know. That wouldn't be BusinessWeek, that would be GiveInToExtortionistWeek anyways. You want BusinessWeek to change to that?

    Didn't think so.

    Fine, whatever, BusinessWeek doesn't have to beg, BusinessWeek has magazine friends in high magazine places. BusinessWeek is just going to go talk to MacWorld or maybe even LinuxMagazine (as a last resort). BusinessWeek is going to tell National Lampoon's Magazine about you, you'll be on his next cover. Oh, and don't expect to get any from Playboy either because BusinessWeek is stopping by his slot right now.

    What happened to you, man? You used to be cool.
  2. Microsoft has already said this by puck13 · · Score: 5, Informative

    This isn't news. MS has already (unofficially) said they'd rather India and China used their software illegally than use the competition.

    http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.j html?articleID=198000211

  3. Whew, my hopes are confirmed by WebCowboy · · Score: 5, Informative

    ..it pays to R past the end of TFA sometimes:

    Henry Chesbrough is Executive Director of the Center for Open Innovation at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. He is the author of Open Business Models: How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape (Harvard Business School Press, 2006). He is an authority on open innovation, open business models, and more open approaches to intellectual property management.

    'twas a masterful troll Mr. Chesbrough. Jonathan Swift would be proud.