China tells Microsoft to rethink 'black-out' anti-piracy tactics

[donski]

China tells Microsoft to rethink 'black-out' anti-piracy tactics: report
AFP - Wednesday, October 29, 2008

BEIJING (AFP) - - China has told US software giant Microsoft to reconsider controversial new anti-piracy tools that cause computer screens to turn black if a pirated program is identified, state media reported.

"Whether the 'black-out' method should be adopted is open to question," said Yan Xiaohong, vice director of the National Copyright Administration, according to a report carried by Xinhua news agency late Monday.

"Measures for safeguarding (intellectual property) rights also need to be appropriate. We've paid great attention to the 'black-out' issue."

Yan was speaking after Microsoft rolled out its Windows Genuine Advantage programme, which turns computer desktops black every hour if the installed Windows XP operating system fails an authenticity validation test.

The move has caused an outcry among Chinese users, who have branded it as "unfair" monopoly tactics designed to make average Chinese pay prices that are far too high for average incomes, earlier state media reports said.

Yan said that the strategy of using a unified global price for some of Microsoft products was questionable, arguing the company's price policies "should fit the Chinese situation", according to Xinhua.

"The company adopted unified prices in the past without considering the income gap between developed and developing countries," he said.

However, Microsoft defended the "black-screen" action as a legal move meant to protect its copyright, adding it has in recent years set certain product prices at competitive levels that Chinese users can afford.

"Building a market environment that respects intellectual property rights is critical to the development of the entire software industry and of the knowledge economy in China," the company said in a statement sent to AFP.

"Microsoft works to ensure its operations are in compliance with laws and regulations on a worldwide basis including in China. Microsoft will continue conducting our operations in compliance with laws and regulations in China."

In 2007, 82 percent of all personal computer software sold in China was pirated, unchanged from 2006, but down from 92 percent in 2003, according to the Business Software Alliance, an anti-piracy organisation.

While the piracy rate is on a long-term declining trend, the amount of money that the software industry misses out on is increasing rapidly.

Losses caused by Chinese software piracy amounted to 6.7 billion dollars in 2007, up from 5.4 billion dollars in 2006 and 3.8 billion dollars in 2003, figures from the organisation showed.

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http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20081028/ttc-china-us-it-copyright-microsoft-0de2eff.html

[Gen. Miting]

i'm sure the chinese will have a hack for it. blacking out the screen is an interrupt request. sobrang dali naman ma-identify and interrupt the interrupt hehehe

[niky]

Uh... just install Linux?

For the average user who will do nothing but internet and word-processing, it's not necessary to buy an expensive Microsoft kit... especially since Vista is a processor hog and XP has more holes in it than swiss cheese (especially as the latest Microsoft Service Pack completely f***ed up my wireless modem... arseholes!)

[safeorigin]

upon installing XP SP2: turn off windows updates

[Burai]

what's with the chinese saying that it's unfair? :headache:hindi naman sila may ari nun so they should obey the owner, in this case, they should comply with microsoft. most chinese nagreklamo? makes me think tuloy na china's pure of kadayaan. from brands and quality to piracy tuloy mga pumapasok sa utak ko bigla when i hear the word china. mga tao sa china ang dating parang pabor sa piracy nung nabasa kong madami nagreact sa kanila sa black screen. di naman sa pagiging racist, that's just my personal point of view. anyway, diba mura na nga ngayon OS ng microsoft? alam ko nasa 3k something na lang lowest. bakit ayaw nilang bumili na lang ng ganun? lifetime naman ang itatagal nun at makakatulong naman for sure mga updates kung magiging genuine user ka. isipin na lang nila that is a neccesity para mabuhay just like food in the bakit din kasi nila inon yung automatic update in the first place diba? why not switch din to linux as what niky said kung ayaw nila nun

[badsekktor]

hmmm.... if microsoft's site and software is reliable then this should be a good move against piracy.....

[Altis6453]

Its a case of China having its cake and wanting to eat it too.

[tidus1203]

Turn OFF the Automatic Updates Just get a very good anti-virus like NOD32.

[niky]

Hahaha... too late for me.

Didn't keep current on Windows Service Pack announcements and discussions... so when I plugged my computer in... within a month, both the internal wireless and the external wireless modem stopped working. I've been trying to rollback my windows version, but nothing works.

The f***er is that even though I have a licensed Windows... I don't have the serial number anymore... what a pain in the butt.

[Horsepower]

What windows version do you have? there's a way to know.

Run Everest Home Edition. go to Operating System and you'll see your key there. ^_^

[ghosthunter]

And here I am using unlicensed Windows XP with no problems... ironic isn't it?

[badsekktor]

running licensed software here..... pati office licensed.... pano kung yun games eh hindi licensed or recognized?

[ghosthunter]

running licensed software here..... pati office licensed.... pano kung yun games eh hindi licensed or recognized?

well, our office is running on pirated WinXP which became "legal" simply because I purchased enough licenses to cover them. But spreadsheet and document editting tasks are done with OPENOFFICE, a free software replacing the expensive and bloated MS Office software.

[badsekktor]

i mean bro pano kung mag-install ka ng games na pirated? mag-black out din ba yun screen?

[safeorigin]

vista and MS office 2007 is teh failsauce

[badsekktor]

hehehehe! makapag linux na nga lang

[flakez]

ang galing ng dahilan ng chinese ah. hahaha. parang sinabi na rin nilang they're protecting the pirates.

[wildthing]

^^ yup... indeed this is also plain s*u**d:

The move has caused an outcry among Chinese users, who have branded it as "unfair" monopoly tactics designed to make average Chinese pay prices that are far too high for average incomes, earlier state media reports said.

linux, open office and a lot of other programs can easily replace microsoft... and it is free or at a minimal fee that even an average Chinese can probably pay.

[ghosthunter]

Isn't this the same argument when microsoft initially made the anti-piracy push in the Philippines? The "poor" pinoys who can't afford expensive licensed Windows who are trying to break into the IT industry?

[boybi]

Why can't MS make their Windows cheaper ba? How much does it cost to develop a new version of their OS? Does it cost as much as a big budget blockbuster movie from Hollywood, or more? An original DVD movie now costs just from P500 to P1,500, depending on packaging and extra features. But there are more people around the world who uses Windows than buying DVD movies.