On Tuesday 26 July 2005 11:31 pm, Shawn wrote: > I have to wonder how bad the "piracy" would be if MS was to simply lower > their prices to something more reasonable for the average person? Most > people I know have a hard time justifying $100+ for something as > non-essential as a computer program or operating system. They'd rather use > that cash for food/rent/clothes/ etc... >
Nevermind that - then go out and spend $600 on office. > Just a thought. > > Shawn > > On Tuesday 26 July 2005 22:48, Marcel A. Lecker wrote: > > The next meeting should be well attended.... :) > > > > Cheers everyone, > > > > Marcel > > > > > GLOBEANDMAIL.COM > > > Bill Gates will be frisking you with a simple point and click > > > By SIMON AVERY > > > > > > Tuesday, July 26, 2005 Updated at 5:17 AM EDT > > > > > > From Tuesday's Globe and Mail > > > > > > > > > The next time you visit the website of Microsoft Corp. to download > > > some software, be prepared to let the world's biggest software company > > > have a look inside your computer. > > > > > > In a determined strike to quell the proliferation of counterfeit > > > software, beginning today, Microsoft will require that all customers > > > coming to its website for upgrades and other downloads submit their > > > computers to an electronic frisking. > > > > > > If you use one of the estimated hundred million PCs running pirated > > > software, don't expect your upgrade. For Microsoft, the new policy is > > > a stepped-up effort to combat the loss of billions of dollars worth of > > > software sales every year to counterfeiters around the world. But in > > > ramping up efforts to fight piracy, the Redmond, Wash.-based behemoth > > > already finds itself fending off critics over privacy. > > > > > > "It sets an extremely negative precedent," Pam Dixon, executive > > > director of World Privacy Forum, a non-profit public-interest research > > > centre in San Diego, said of the company's initiative. "Microsoft is > > > saying, 'Before I let you do anything at all, you have to open your > > > computer to us.' I really object to this." > > > > > > Advertisements > > > > > > > > > The company will scan machines for a variety of information, including > > > product keys or software authorization codes, operating-system version > > > and details on the flow of data between the operating system and other > > > hardware, such as printers. > > > > > > It is access to this information that particularly upsets the privacy > > > advocates. Ms. Dixon says the only information Microsoft needs to > > > fight piracy is the product key and the operating-system version, and > > > she says that Microsoft will be able to identify users uniquely based > > > on some of the information the company collects. > > > > > > "They are grabbing more information than they need to deter piracy," > > > she said. > > > > > > If Microsoft deems a PC to be carrying contraband code, it won't allow > > > a user to download Microsoft programs, with the exception of security > > > patches. But the software company — which says that more than one in > > > five U.S. computers runs a counterfeit version of its Windows product > > > — is not just waving a stick. It is also offering a big carrot. > > > > > > Microsoft said it will give a free copy of its Windows XP to customers > > > who unknowingly bought a counterfeit version of the operating system > > > and who fill out a piracy report, provide proof of purchase and send > > > Microsoft the counterfeit CDs. > > > > > > Customers who cannot provide proof of purchase but file a piracy > > > report will receive a substantial discount on a legitimate version of > > > the operating system, said Tim Prime, a product manager in the Windows > > > client group at Microsoft Canada Co., a subsidiary of the U.S. > > > company. > > > > > > Executives at Microsoft reject any suggestions that the move will > > > antagonize customers with privacy concerns. > > > > > > "Customers want to know whether retailers have sold them genuine > > > software," Mr. Prime said. > > > > > > More than 40 million users agreed to have their systems scanned in a > > > 10-month trial that began last September in several countries. The > > > participation rate amounted to 58 per cent of all visitors to the > > > pilot website, far exceeding Microsoft's expectations of just 10 per > > > cent, Mr. Prime said. > > > > > > Microsoft said no personal data will be collected during the > > > validation process, and information will remain completely anonymous. > > > The company said it commissioned TÜV-ITÖ, an independent German > > > security auditor, to test how well its Windows Genuine Advantage > > > program protects customers' data, and the firm concluded that > > > Microsoft does not collect any personal information that would allow > > > it to identify or contact a user. > > > > > > Seth Schoen, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier > > > Foundation, a civil liberties group in San Francisco specializing in > > > technology issues, agreed that Microsoft would not be able to identify > > > customers personally through the program. But the data collected are > > > unique to every customer, just as human fingerprints are unique, and > > > the issue becomes how long the company holds onto the details and > > > whether they could become personally identifying later on, he said. > > > > > > Technology companies have walked a fine line for years on the issue of > > > collecting information from consumers' computers. Six years ago, > > > RealNetworks Inc., whose software plays audio and video content on the > > > Internet, released a patch for its RealJukebox program after the > > > public learned the software was relaying personal information about > > > users to the company. > > > > > > More recently, Google Inc. created a privacy backlash when it said its > > > free e-mail service, Gmail, would include special software that > > > inserts ads into personal e-mails based on their content. > > > > > > Clearly, Microsoft believes any risk of public-privacy concerns are > > > worth incurring to fight a problem that has turned into an epidemic in > > > some parts of the world. > > > > > > Microsoft has been fighting counterfeit efforts for years with limited > > > success. It says that 35 per cent of the world's computers run > > > counterfeit software and that piracy cost the global software industry > > > $41-billion in 2004. > > > > > > The Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft and the Business Software > > > Alliance reported recently that 36 per cent of all software > > > applications in use in Canada are pirated, costing $1.1-billion in > > > lost retail software sales. > > > > > > > > > * © Copyright 2005 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. 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