Friday, March 17, 2006
Selling Pirated Software Online: Think again!!!
Technology Updates
In an effort to cut down on pirated software being sold online, Microsoft has filed eight lawsuits against eBay auction sellers who allegedly have sold counterfeit applications. The sellers were located in eight different states, including Arizona, Washington, and Hawaii.
Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were reported to the company's antipiracy hotline.
The company's action has been praised by eBay, which frequently assists Microsoft in its anticounterfeiting efforts. Last year, eBay took down about 50,000 listings at Microsoft's request.
The lawsuits come just after Microsoft issued warnings about spyware or other bugs being found in pirated software, and noted that it would target sellers of such applications.
Going, Going, Gone
Online auctions, thanks both to their popularity and to their anonymity, have become an easy way for people worldwide to sell goods.
Microsoft praises the convenience and global reach of the virtual marketplace, noted one of the company's attorneys, Matt Lundy, but at the same time is critical of sellers that undermine the system by selling illegal products.
The company feels that by paying greater attention to what is being hawked on auction sites, it will protect Microsoft customers and technology partners. Of course, some might say, cracking down on piracy does help the Redmond software giant as well.
In the future, it is likely that Microsoft will continue investigating auctions of its software and pursuing enforcement with the aim of increasing user education, Lundy said. "By filing these lawsuits," he explained, "we hope that auction purchasers will understand that software offers are not always what they appear to be."
Ahoy, Matey
Efforts to battle piracy have been both aggressive and extensive at Microsoft. Because the company's products are used by so much of the world, it makes Microsoft software among the most pirated applications on the planet.
The company has tried to fight the problem with several initiatives, such as slashing prices in developing countries, getting government agencies at home and abroad involved, and beefing up its WGA program.
Microsoft even has tested an amnesty program when it gave Indonesia a free pass on illegal software used on government computers in exchange for a promise that legitimate software would be purchased in the future.
Going forward, the company will continue its antipiracy campaigns, Lundy added, noting that consumers deserve to know they are buying legal software.
Source: http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=42144
In an effort to cut down on pirated software being sold online, Microsoft has filed eight lawsuits against eBay auction sellers who allegedly have sold counterfeit applications. The sellers were located in eight different states, including Arizona, Washington, and Hawaii.
Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were reported to the company's antipiracy hotline.
The company's action has been praised by eBay, which frequently assists Microsoft in its anticounterfeiting efforts. Last year, eBay took down about 50,000 listings at Microsoft's request.
The lawsuits come just after Microsoft issued warnings about spyware or other bugs being found in pirated software, and noted that it would target sellers of such applications.
Going, Going, Gone
Online auctions, thanks both to their popularity and to their anonymity, have become an easy way for people worldwide to sell goods.
Microsoft praises the convenience and global reach of the virtual marketplace, noted one of the company's attorneys, Matt Lundy, but at the same time is critical of sellers that undermine the system by selling illegal products.
The company feels that by paying greater attention to what is being hawked on auction sites, it will protect Microsoft customers and technology partners. Of course, some might say, cracking down on piracy does help the Redmond software giant as well.
In the future, it is likely that Microsoft will continue investigating auctions of its software and pursuing enforcement with the aim of increasing user education, Lundy said. "By filing these lawsuits," he explained, "we hope that auction purchasers will understand that software offers are not always what they appear to be."
Ahoy, Matey
Efforts to battle piracy have been both aggressive and extensive at Microsoft. Because the company's products are used by so much of the world, it makes Microsoft software among the most pirated applications on the planet.
The company has tried to fight the problem with several initiatives, such as slashing prices in developing countries, getting government agencies at home and abroad involved, and beefing up its WGA program.
Microsoft even has tested an amnesty program when it gave Indonesia a free pass on illegal software used on government computers in exchange for a promise that legitimate software would be purchased in the future.
Going forward, the company will continue its antipiracy campaigns, Lundy added, noting that consumers deserve to know they are buying legal software.
Source: http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=42144
# posted by David Low @ 9:36 AM 
