Microsoft Offers Compensation For Counterfeit OSes 355
0110011001110101 writes "Want to validate an unscrupulously obtained copy of Windows? Sign up for the new carrot/stick program being offered by Microsoft. From the article: 'Expanding its Windows Genuine Advantage program, Microsoft will now compensate customers in the United States that unknowingly purchased counterfeit versions of Windows XP with complimentary genuine Windows copies. There is one catch, however: customers must first file a report on the unscrupulous reseller.'"
I blame Google!!! (Score:5, Funny)
I would like to rat out the folks that gave me the counterfeit copies of your software. You can find them at:
marketing@google.com
sales@google.com
Don't believe me? Do a google search.
Re:I blame ... (Score:5, Funny)
I would like to rat out the folks that gave me my apparently counterfeit copy of your software. I can tell it is counterfeit because it always crashes and gives me Dr. Watson errors. I purchased the software from the following vendor:
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
Sincerely,
Re:I blame Google!!! (Score:2)
I would like to rat out various folks who offered me counterfeit copies of your "windows" product: these [dell.com], and these [hp.com], and these [ibm.com], and these [walmart.com], and .....
Stick it to 'em. And good luck!
Good for them. (Score:4, Interesting)
NOT good for them (Score:2)
Microsoft gained much of its initial foothold through the efforts of software pirates.
Now, I'm not saying that what the pirates did was right, I'm just saying that they did a lot to help push Microsoft into the lead in the OS wars.
DISCLAIMER: ALL OF MY MICROSOFT OS INSTALLATIONS ARE LEGITIMATE, LEGALLY PURCHASED ENTITIES THAT REQURE NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY HOMELAND SECURITY, THE
Re:NOT good for them (Score:3, Funny)
As for how I know your mom, well, lets just say that a lot of people do.
Sorta (Score:3, Insightful)
MS deserve to be pirated until they become fair. In my estimation, that means $30 Windows XP Home and $100 Windows XP Pro. But it is all hidden behind secret deals. It really is too bad that
Re:Good for them. (Score:2)
Value? (Score:2, Insightful)
I wasn't aware that there was any difference in the value of genuine software versus pirated software to the consumer. The price paid or not paid, has nothing to
Re:Value? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Value? (Score:2)
Re:Value? (Score:2)
Re:Value? (Score:5, Interesting)
We usually just sell 'em a power cord with their copy of XP.
Re:Value? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Value? (Score:3, Informative)
Of course, it's still easy to get around that, by shipping it with an ISA video card you found at the dump.
Re:Value? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Value? (Score:5, Funny)
All I've ever seen is illegal copies of the real Windows OS.
Does Microsoft really expect us to believe that there are people out there who have written another OS which behaves enough like Windows that it will fool people into thinking they bought a Microsoft operating system???
Okay, sure there's Linspire (or whatever it's called this week) and KDE, but those are Linux-based environments and therefore far too stable to fool anybody.
Who's writing this counterfeit Windows program out there, and how did they manage to get it to work properly with all the malware floating around the net?
Re:Value? (Score:5, Insightful)
That's BS.
a.) XP has to be cracked to get around the on-line activation, so the user is not necessarily getting the same thing MS offers or guarantees.
b.) Slashdot LOVES posting stories about how MS only supports legit versions of Windows. Ethical or not, there's still a difference.
c.) If the user has a pirated copy of XP and needs support, there's no reasonable expectation that MS MUST help them.
It's not just about money changing hands, there's software moving, too.
Re:Value? (Score:2)
Actually, pirated copies of XP are the corporate version where activation is disabled because the corporation is installing on 1000's of computers and that would be a HUGE expenditure of time and bandwith to activate each one.
Xp does not need to be cracked (Score:3, Interesting)
2 - Microsoft has been declared to be a monopoly. The rules are different. They should be treated differently then an honest small business, and held to different standards.
Re:Xp does not need to be cracked (Score:4, Insightful)
Regardless of that, they were declared a monopoly and using its advantages improperly, by a federal judge. As of that point the definition doesn't matter, no does your opinion.
2 wrongs? No, its not a wrong. Due to the fact they are a monopoly they are penalized in various ways. that is the rules.
Don't like the rules here? Then you can choose another place to live.
Though, personally I think they should have been forbidden to do business and all assets liquidated, including all people on its board. Allowing them to continue business at all was really the '2nd wrong'.
Re:Xp does not need to be cracked (Score:3, Insightful)
Law. A right granted by a government giving exclusive control over a specified commercial activity to a single party.
A company or group having exclusive control over a commercial activity.
A commodity or service so controlled.
Re:Value? (Score:2, Interesting)
People who were duped by a dishonest reseller aren't theives. Microsoft is right in treating them nicely.
You missed the point (Score:5, Funny)
That's the point. They are protecting their customers.
Whoever said Microsoft was a heartless monopoly with a cash register for a soul sure has to eat their words now.
I have seen the Light. Now I just have to contact 4,356 people and convince them not to turn me in.
Re:Value? (Score:5, Insightful)
The consumer may not care, but MS should. I actually wish them the best of luck in stamping out piracy. I really do. I can't count how many people I've offered copies of Openoffice to that said we can get MS Office (read "pirate it") so we aren't interested. If people have to start paying for every copy, a lot more will be interested in FOSS. People who wouldn't even consider Linux before now will. Go Microsoft! :->
Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Woohoo! (Score:5, Funny)
On second thought...
Re:Woohoo! (Score:3, Interesting)
There are so many abandoned buildings in this city, i mean seriously.
Re:Woohoo! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Woohoo! (Score:2)
Re:Woohoo! (Score:3, Insightful)
Or worse... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Woohoo! (Score:3, Interesting)
1. Buy Pirated Software
2. Turn it in to Microsoft
3.
4. PROFIT!
Qui Bono? (Score:2)
And there is the rub. If you downloaded/borrowed a copy and installed that way -- too bad. I have no idea what the numbers are of people who bought an illegal copy of windows -- but a quick survey in my office shows that 100% of the people here who have an "illegal" copy of windows,
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:5, Insightful)
Not in America. In China, Malaysia, and Singapore, however, there literally are vendors in the streets selling illegal CDs of this and dozens of other expensive software products for five bucks.
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:3, Interesting)
For the doubters about it happening here in the US, all it takes to see it in the US is a trip to a "County Fair", flea market, or similar swap meet. This is to say nothing of the bogus copies available online. If you see a copy of Windows for $25 here in the US (or anywhere for that matter), chances are it's bogus
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:2)
I've seen traders being removed by Council staff (it's in a council owned building).
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:5, Insightful)
Chances are, one of Bob's customers may not know that their copy of Windows is not legit. This is not unlike system builders who throw in a CPU of one speed and overclock it to another and claim that it is the ladder, just to get a few bucks extra while defrauding the customer.
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:2)
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:2)
Latter [m-w.com]
Swing, and a miss.
-Jesse
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:3, Insightful)
Bob's saving much more than a few bucks. The Windows license is the biggest single cost in a PC, and it has been increasing while all the component costs have been dropping.
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:2)
Am I really one of the few people around who actually owns a legit copy of XP? None of my friends do. No wonder it costs so much.
Re:Qui Bono? (Score:2)
That's not their intention here. Microsoft is going after the local system builders/redistributers who try to save money by preloading pirated copies of Windows on the PCs they sell. They don't care nearly enough about the guy who gave 5 copies to various friends, when you have the guy at Comp-U-Comp down the street that has installed 5000 copies on the computers he sells.
Why is this bad? (Score:5, Insightful)
This sounds like it's good for consumers, and Microsofts wishes to track down the retailers that are defrauding customers don't seem out of line.
Re:Why is this bad? (Score:5, Insightful)
> to be the bad guy in this situation.
This isn't even a new idea. The sat TV industry has been doing much the same for years. They switch their crypto, the bootleg cards stop and they run an amnesty program where you narc out the dealer who sold you the pirate card and they forgive your theft, set you up a legal account for no charge and often even comp you free service for a bit.
The cops do it all the time in the War on Some Drugs. Rat out the dealer and walk away free and clear.
> This sounds like it's good for consumers, and Microsofts wishes to
> track down the retailers that are defrauding customers don't seem out
> of line.
Yup, and as Free Software fans we should be 100% behind this sort of enforcement. It is hard for Free to compete with Microsoft when to 95% of their users Microsoft is just as "free" in the sense it either was hidden in the cost of their PC was is warez.
Making closed software actually cost full price is the first step to getting people to consider alternatives. This works both on the end user and the margin squeezed OEMs who sell the industrial warez bootleg copies of XP instead of Lindows. (Or whatever they call themselves today.. can't remember right now.)
Re:Why is this bad? (Score:2)
Fraud will be a smaller problem than currently (Score:5, Interesting)
I suspect submitting these claims will be much like the Credit Card fraud forms-- after an initial phone or internet report, you get in the mail a return postage paid paper report form to complete, including an affidavit with "UNDER CRIMINAL PENALTY OF PERJURY" in a nicely prominent place on the form. Yes, there will be some fraud... and that may get prosecuted. Just like credit cards.
And again if they need to track down the retailers before handing down the new cd, this will take what? one year, two years before they are charged with something, you also need proof!
Were I running this happy little corner of Microsoft, I would make sure this program was well publicized. It may even become semi-automated-- a refinement of Microsoft's current tactic of politely asking (but not requiring) authentication downloading updates.
Once Microsoft starts getting these reports in large quantities, they can go for the "low-lying fruit"-- target the reseller with 15000 reports of counterfeit sales before the reseller with 15 reports. Most lawyers generally prefer not to go to trial when there are several thousand individually documented charges against their clients.People will never get their free copies unless the one who sold them are very,very stupid and get caught easily!
I don't think that Microsoft would wait for the actual conviction to provide the replacement key and media; after the initial report (perhaps online as above), they send out the paperwork, arriving in 3-7 business days by US Snail. Another week or two for the typical person to fill out the form and get the form and counterfeit media back in the mail. Maybe 3 weeks to process the report back at Microsoft, and confirm the existance of the vendor. Then, send out the replacement key and media, along with a legal form boiling down to "as long as you haven't lied to us, we agree not to prosecute you." Call it two months turnaround if Microsoft is dillegent.
Microsoft is run by greedy bastards, not stupid bastards. This will take out some of the larger dealers in counterfeit product faster than they can now, and hopefully (for Microsoft) more market room for legal copies. Of course, it won't do much for P2P piracy, but that can be a separate battle in the IP Wars.
To all my loyal customers out there. (Score:5, Funny)
Ya betta rememba that.
Re:To all my loyal customers out there. (Score:2, Informative)
When you have to make the choice see just how much honor you have. I had to choose between getting charged as an accessory and facing a possible 8 - 12 years for a guy I hadn't seen to in over a year and would sell me out at the drop of a hat, or telling the truth about a drug crime that happened over 2 years ago.
I told the truth and have that signed thing from the DA that I will not be charged due to my cooperation with law enforcement.
It really is true, there is n
And the problem is? (Score:5, Insightful)
Whether you agree with the law, or wear sandals and hug penguins, piracy is still illegal, and if you have unwittingly ended up with illegal software, you shouldn't have to put up with being ripped off.
Re:And the problem is? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:And the problem is? (Score:2)
So, you accusing us penguin-hugging sandal-wearers of not agreeing with the law??? Others might have missed your subtle bias... but not I... I shall now despatch my elite squad of killer penguins in pursuit of you...
Re:And the problem is? (Score:2)
Re:And the problem is? (Score:5, Funny)
So is copyright infringement, for that matter.
Max
How will they avoid scammers? (Score:5, Insightful)
1. Name and phone number of local mom and pop computer store.
2. Fake receipt for 100 computers I bought from them and sob story about how they didn't even give me the media, and all 100 machines have the same key.
3. New ebay account to sell all my nifty new 100 copies of windows XP
The article claims "Microsoft has put in place a control to make certain that applicants are filing legitimate claims." Are they going to contact vendors first? I don't see what they can do to prevent this kind of scam.
Re:How will they avoid scammers? (Score:5, Insightful)
If you don't agree, be my guest and try.
Re:How will they avoid scammers? (Score:2)
This isn't really a problem. (Score:2, Funny)
Just on XP? (Score:4, Funny)
Shux (Score:3, Funny)
free Windows! (Score:2)
"Yes, Mr. Gates, Imanginarico sold me 500 copies of Windows XP and they all turned out to be fake. Their address is in Uzbekistan."
Yippee, I can get legit at last. (Score:2, Funny)
Report the resellers? (Score:3, Funny)
She's not going to like that.
Re:Report the resellers? (Score:2)
to the poster, i say: (Score:3, Funny)
Dear Microsoft... (Score:5, Funny)
Absolutely fine by me! (Score:5, Insightful)
The vendors who get nailed by this program deserve it.
Re:Absolutely fine by me! (Score:3, Insightful)
You can make a case that this whole idea is susceptible to fraud, but so is just about every other business idea/plan/system. That being said, if six months down the line, we find out that MS sent off letters demanding money from each and everyone who was reported as selling counterfeit windows, with no regards to fact checking or correctness, then we can criticiz
Bias against home built systems... (Score:2)
I'm not sure what I'll do when Microsoft keeps me from downloading their software. On second thought, I know exactly what I'll do. Dump Windows!
Re:Bias against home built systems... (Score:2)
Why wait until then? Pre-empt them.
Bram Cohen (Score:2)
Begin The Perp Walks! (Score:3, Insightful)
Dear 0110011001110101 (Score:2)
No, fu.
Love,
gonzo
I bet ... (Score:2)
Of course, this promotes spam, and they might have a difficult time tracking them down.
Only in the US? (Score:2)
That program doesn't apply outside the US? Should people abroad be happy or sad about it?
Dear MicroSoft (Score:5, Funny)
The package contained an OS, Office Software, Games, Web browsers, Email clients, IM clients, doodling packages, and all the other assorted knicknacks I expect from my copy of a Windows OS. It also contained a multitude of development tools, website hosting software, and various other specialised programs worth thousands of dollars!
Furthermore, not only did I recieve the software at low, low prices ($0.00-$60), all MicroSoft branding had been removed and was replaced by penguins, feet, red hats, cogs, some sort of cow and an orange fox.
The name of the fraudulants sellers were Redhat, Mandrake, Novell and Debian!
I hope you will take appropriate action against these charletans for providing what must be counterfeit quality products at such shamelessly low prices!
Works for me (Score:3, Funny)
Wine (Score:5, Funny)
To everyone... (Score:2)
A few years back, a shop in the city I live in got caught selling counterfeit Windows CDs (ie not burned CDRs, proper screen-printed looks-like-MS-legit discs) to their customers. Until now, technically (and wrongly, morally speaking, IMHO) this resulted in them running illegal unlicensed copies of Windows, for which they had no recourse. So now, MS will give people in similar situations a nice shiny *legal* copy of Windows, and go after t
Nothing new (Score:2)
I don't see why this merits a story here. It's a nice customer service policy, and it makes sense from a business perspective. But I guess you can always count on Slashdot to put a negative spin on anythin
Wow (Score:2)
Just another take on this (Score:5, Interesting)
Now, if they had sold the system without an OS, we would have used one of our Windows licenses on it and that would have been that. But, they claimed to put a licensed copy of Windows on the computer and did not.
I called Microsoft worked my way through their piracy hotline. What do you know, a few days later a new OEM copy of Windows showed up in the mail.
If you get sold a copy of Windows, you have the right to expect a legal copy of Windows. Period.
I have never seen a counterfeit MS OS. (Score:2)
That could be really nasty.... (Score:2)
If you didn't like someone, you could download the ISO off BT or something or borrow a copy of XP from somone else, make a copy of the disk. Then run the CD through a cd label printer to make it look kinda perty, google search for the good old FCKGW code, then call microsoft and report this person you don't like as being the one who sold you the copy.
Step 1: make illeg
Genuine problem (Score:2, Interesting)
Corner vendors? (Score:2)
a snitch in time paves crime (Score:2)
[insert your homily here]
narcing for usloth, that's gotta be a new low.
I'm holding out (Score:2, Funny)
Catch? (Score:5, Insightful)
How is this a "catch"? A catch implies the offer/opportunity is in some how rigged to negatively affect the offeree. Microsoft is going out of their way to do something nice for customers who go out of their way to do something nice for Microsoft. This is a mutually beneficial situation and while it might conflict with the
Re:Fishy (Score:2)
Guess I just proved your point... MS *is* acting like a government agency!
Re:Fishy (Score:2)
Re:Fishy (Score:2)
I love what you consider 'power'. If anyone is prepared to engage in fradulent activity then they have this 'power' of which you speak.
Presumably, Microsoft is going to cut off supply to a
Re:Hmmmm... (Score:2)
Re:Hmmmm... (Score:2)
Re:Hmmmm... (Score:2)
How's that Step 0 working out for you, then?
Re:Old News (Score:2)
That's one thing. The other is (potentially) reduced technical support costs, as counterfeit software may have been repackaged in a less robust way than the original (e.g., missing
Re:Old News (Score:2)
That makes no sense.
Why would it be "repackaged"? Anybody can rip a CD and make a perfect copy. There's no repackaging needed.
Plus, Microsoft doesn't even give free technical support last I recall.
Re:Pick one (Score:2)
Maybe, but they also recognize that if you actually want to get something done, the last thing you need is a genius. I also wouldn't hire Einstein to build a bridge, you know?
Presentation itself is not important but if somebody breaks social expectations "just because", that probably means they won't work well in a team environment. It doesn't mean that they're stupid, or bad at what they do. It just means they can probably con