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Microsoft Calls Today Global Anti-Piracy Day 500

arcticstoat points out an article at Custom PC, according to which: "Microsoft has announced that today is Global Anti-Piracy Day. Launching several global initiatives, the aim is to raise awareness of the damage to software innovation that Microsoft says is caused by piracy. ... As well as educating people about piracy, Microsoft has also initiated a huge list of legal proceedings that it's taking out against pirates. Microsoft isn't messing about when it says 'global' either. The list of 49 countries that Microsoft is targeting spans six continents, and ranges from the UK and the US all the way through to Chile, Egypt, Kuwait, Indonesia and China." Interestingly enough, unauthorized copies of Vista might not be harming the company all that much: reader twitter was among several to contribute links to a related story at Computer World which highlights Microsoft attorney Bonnie MacNaughton's acknowledgement that pirates prefer Windows XP over Vista and Office 2003 over 2007.
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Microsoft Calls Today Global Anti-Piracy Day

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  • by ivan256 ( 17499 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:42AM (#25453411)

    [almost everybody prefers] Windows XP over Vista and Office 2003 over 2007

    Fixed that for you...

    • by xoundmind ( 932373 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @10:02AM (#25453841)
      The jokes/reality just write themselves when it comes to M$:
      Their newest product line is so sucky that no one wants to pirate it.
      Now that's an innovative strategy!
    • by elfguy ( 22889 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @10:03AM (#25453851) Homepage

      You know you have problems when even pirates don't want your software!

  • by BPPG ( 1181851 ) <bppg1986@gmail.com> on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:43AM (#25453427)

    If it weren't for piracy, there'd be a sizable amount of people that would never even try Vista.

    • yeah, but this is a whole new level! I think if someone's capable of pirating the entire globe they should really be awarded some kind of Nobel prize but I guess Microsoft still sees it as a bad thing because it includes their software too.
    • by betterunixthanunix ( 980855 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @10:26AM (#25454255)
      I'm not sure who modded you funny, or why, because you make a very good point. Actually, in the absence of piracy, Windows would have a substantially smaller market share, especially in emerging economies. Microsoft has actually admitted this in the past, and made a pathetic attempt at releasing a shareware version of Windows that could run 3 processes at a time in order to compete with the pirates. Microsoft has to tread very carefully when they try to combat piracy, because the fewer pirated copies of Windows and Office people use, the more copies of Linux/BSD and OpenOffice.org/Google Docs people will use. On the other hand, if Microsoft does not make sufficient efforts to protect its trademarks (and to some degree, copyrights), it could lose them, and that would spell trouble for them too.
    • by SCHecklerX ( 229973 ) <greg@gksnetworks.com> on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @12:22PM (#25456167) Homepage

      Actually, if it weren't for piracy, Microsoft would never have dominated the market in the first place. People buy at work what they have used at home. I can't justify paying $500+ for software I use only when re-writing a resume every few years or so.

  • by davidwr ( 791652 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:43AM (#25453429) Homepage Journal

    Arrgg!

  • RRRRrraaaaa (Score:5, Funny)

    by sxltrex ( 198448 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:44AM (#25453435)

    Does that make it "Talk Like an Anti-Pirate Day?"

  • by mcgrew ( 92797 ) * on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:44AM (#25453437) Homepage Journal

    Pirates seize Indian vessel with 13 crew members off Somalia [hindustantimes.com]

    An Indian cargo ship with 13 sailors on board heading towards Africa was hijacked by armed pirates off the northern coast of Somalia, even as suspense persisted over the fate of Indian crew members of the Hong Kong vessel MV Stolt Valor.

    Somali pirates boarded the ship which was heading to Somalia and hijacked it south of Socotra island over the weekend, an official of the International Maritime Bureau said in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

    The whereabouts of the ship and the fate of the crew members was not known as the maritime bureau received the distress report from a third party on Monday.

    "We are still verifying the time and date of attack," the official said.

    The hijack pushed the number of attacks by pirates this year in Somali coast to 74. A total of 30 ships have been hijacked and 10 remain in the hands of the pirates along with nearly 200 crew members.

    A concerned Indian Government has dispatched a powerful stealth warship to the area as momentum has been growing for coordinated international response to the spate of hijacking being unleashed by Somali pirates using speed boats.

    So I agree, piracy is a terrible problem. Our hearts go out to the families of the missing sailors.

    However, I would think that Microsoft would be more concerned with copyright infringement that piracy. Are they planning an anti-copyright infringement day? September 19th [wikipedia.org] might be appropriate.

    • by j-beda ( 85386 )
      Hear! Hear!
    • by AKAImBatman ( 238306 ) * <[moc.liamg] [ta] [namtabmiaka]> on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:54AM (#25453647) Homepage Journal

      Damn you. You beat me to it [slashdot.org]!

      To be serious for a moment, does anyone else feel that Microsoft's crusade on software piracy is simply insensitive in the recent wake of high seas piracy? A lot of good men and women are out there getting killed just so companies like Microsoft can deliver their product around the world. Rather than displaying their global conscience and supporting the cause of defeating real piracy, they're worried about a bunch of 12 year olds who harmlessly steal software for kicks! Meanwhile, the vast majority of consumers who use Windows have actually paid for Windows. Repeatedly.

      But that's not good enough for Microsoft, is it? They want to squeeze blood from a stone. Get every last nickel out of those horrible people who miscounted their licenses by one, or the people who load Linux/BSD/Solaris/Plan9 on their machines. (Because, obviously, anyone using Linux is ACTUALLY pirating Windows!)

      You know what? I can't bring myself to care, Microsoft. In fact, I hope your company BURNS for those practices.

    • Piracy in Somalia has gotten really serious lately, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_Somalia [wikipedia.org]

      18 pretty major events in the last year alone.

    • by ajs ( 35943 ) <{moc.sja} {ta} {sja}> on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @10:14AM (#25454043) Homepage Journal

      I think you got it wrong. They're talking about the idea of privateering. They're opposed to hiring pirates as mercenaries to fight other countries by proxy. I, for one, am glad to see Microsoft take a stand on this serious issue! In fact, I'm going to go give out duplicated copies of Windows XP to all my friends to show my support!

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by gstoddart ( 321705 )

      So I agree, piracy is a terrible problem. Our hearts go out to the families of the missing sailors.

      However, I would think that Microsoft would be more concerned with copyright infringement that piracy. Are they planning an anti-copyright infringement day?

      So, as much as we like to bicker over this particular usage, there seems to be some [wikipedia.org] contention that this is a historically valid use of the term, and way predates computers.

      From the wiki article, it sounds as if it has been used this way in law for a couple

    • by ILikeRed ( 141848 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @12:49PM (#25456557) Journal

      I think someone needs to put together a special day (today would be good) called the Global Tax Anti-Piracy Day!

      Tax Piracy is when you have a company in one country, but then setup a sham company in another country so you can avoid paying your fair share of taxes. These Pirate companies plunder the benefits of the real country of origin [finfacts.com], taking advantage of all the infrastructure benefits such as schools, roads, and police - but pay for very little or any of what they take by loopholes in their real country's tax system!

      Just think of the billions of dollars lost by honest companies, and their lost innovation because of these Tax Pirate Companies [microsoft.com]. Think of the increased taxes that honest companies must pay. Think of the children who can't go to good schools because Pirate companies plundered the public coffers! This is a threat that must be stopped, and the pirate company's officers punished!

  • Ironically, I'm downloading the latest release of TinyXP even as I type this.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by g253 ( 855070 )
      What's really ironic is that things like TinyXP, MicroXP, TinyVista... are basically just fine-tuned versions of their software, and they really shine compared to official versions. So when you install it for someone, that person thinks "eh, Windows isn't so bad after all"... and then Microsoft comes and tells them that this version is evil, dangerous, and will harm their computer.

      There is proof that Windows can be a decent OS, but they can't use it :)
  • What is this, some sort of Microsoft trademark? I don't see how it relates, unless "innovation" is the popular replace word for "profit", "monopoly", "greed", "lock-in", "control", etc.

  • Can they seriously just announce a "global" day?
    • by cosmocain ( 1060326 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:55AM (#25453671)
      Why not? You can do that, too. Just stroll around and tell everybody you meet that today's...

      - "Think of the children"-day,
      - "Bad car analogy"-day,
      - "Robotic overlord"-day,
      - "Natalie Portman"-day,
      - "In Soviet russia"-day,
      - "Insensitive clod"-day,
      - "Goatse"-day,
      etc...

      The fact that nobody'll listen to you will just make you feel like MS today. But if they don't care - why should you?
      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by binkzz ( 779594 )

        I must say that the sheer amount of American "special days" is ridiculous, and takes away any meaning they could ever have. A quick google on October:

        # Adopt-a-Shelter-Animal Month
        # Computer Learning Month
        # Family History Month
        # National Apple Month
        # National Clock Month
        # National Dessert Month
        # National Pizza Month
        # National Popcorn Popping Month (wtf!)
        # National Roller Skating Month
        # Polish American History Month (they need a whole month?)
        # National Stamp Collecting Month (oh yeah)

        The first week in Octobe

  • and... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dzimas ( 547818 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:45AM (#25453457)
    I'm declaring today "Anti Microsoft Day." There. We're even.
  • ...invest heavily in warships to help protect our shipping lanes. Nothing could be a better use of their money than helping stop the violence inherent in piracy on the high-seas. Already, many American warships are in stand-off confrontations with merchies taken over by pirates. I--

    Sorry, what? This is about software? How Microsoft is concerned about companies who are missing one or two licenses out of 5,000 or 12 year old kids bragging that they got XP off of I13|<p1R4Cy.com? Pfff. In that case, screw 'em.

  • by Piranhaa ( 672441 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:45AM (#25453471)

    I pledge I will not pirate anything... today

  • sweet (Score:5, Funny)

    by nomadic ( 141991 ) <[moc.liamg] [ta] [dlrowcidamon]> on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:46AM (#25453487) Homepage
    Know my favorite part of Anti-Piracy Days? The parades. I mean, the parties are nice, and seeing the kids put out the Anti-Piracy decorations, but the parades are what are really great.
  • See, since pirates prefer these older programs, it means that the anti-piracy measures really ARE working, because the pirates don't like dealing with it! We told you so!
  • Expect global warming rate [wikimedia.org] to accelerate.
  • by 2muchcoffeeman ( 573484 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:48AM (#25453519) Journal

    Prevent Windows piracy: Use Linux instead!

  • Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:48AM (#25453533)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Really Sad (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Archangel Michael ( 180766 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:49AM (#25453545) Journal

    pirates prefer Windows XP over Vista and Office 2003 over 2007

    Its really sad when even Pirates don't like your crap. That's like making a movie which even the pirates don't pirate.

    Think about it, people who can get it for free, don't want it, even as it is free. This is not boding well for Microsoft.

    • by deniable ( 76198 )

      Wasn't that the point of the Internet boom/bust last decade. People discovered that giving crap away for free didn't make money. Once again Microsoft is a decade behind. :)

      (Actually, all of the anti-pirate stuff makes sense. Their main competitor is dodgy copies of their own stuff.)

    • i was thinking about this recently with regards to hollywood and the music industry coming down hard on youtube. now there's probably a lot of real copyright infringement going on on youtube, but what THEY don't want us to know is that the top video on youtube is by a stand-up comic who filmed himself and put it there. the whole world isn't so obsessed with depriving britney spears of money as they would have us believe. that's what they don't want us to realise.
  • by PinkyDead ( 862370 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:49AM (#25453551) Journal

    After the success of last month's "Talk Like A Pirate Day", this is just Microsoft just trying to cash in on the whole pirate thing.

    Parents can't be expected to shell out for every single pirate related holiday. Enough is enough.

    Anyway, don't Microsoft already have April 1st.

  • I hereby declare today as Global Anti-Proprietary Software Day.

    Corporations and computer users all over the world lose untold trillions of dollars dealing with the pain of using software that they cannot have full access to, or effectively move from one computer to another.

  • I pledge... (Score:5, Funny)

    by neowolf ( 173735 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:51AM (#25453591)

    ...that I will not pirate Vista. Ever.

  • by SiW ( 10570 )

    Of course pirates prefer the older versions, they're a lot easier to keep running while cracked.

    I just don't think it's worth it anymore to pirate newer MS software, you're constantly playing catch-up with their latest Windows Genuine Advantage stuff.

  • FTFAFY (Score:4, Funny)

    by Hognoxious ( 631665 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:55AM (#25453669) Homepage Journal
    TFA

    reader twitter was among several to contribute links to a related story

    Should read:

    several readers, all of whom were twitter, contributed links to a related story.

  • all make merry and rejoice !! for today is yer day !!

    tomorrow im thinking of creating a 'No Underpants Day' out of my butt. it should be easy, considering that it'll be a day with no underpants.
  • I call today "Tuesday"
  • Shouldn't "global anti-piracy day" be called "global ninja domination day" instead?
  • by TractorBarry ( 788340 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:57AM (#25453731) Homepage

    > raise awareness of the damage to software innovation that Microsoft says is caused by piracy.

    Which fades into insignificance when compared to the damage to software innovation caused by Microsoft !

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by ignavus ( 213578 )

      Do you think that they are subtly hinting that downloading free software ("piracy, open source - it's all the same") is "damaging to software innovation"?

      They are using the same language of "piracy" as they have done for Open Source and (especially) the GPL: it limits their ability to "innovate" (embrace, extend and extinguish). This is possibly setting the scene to link the two in the minds of ill-informed people like legislators, managers and the general public (in no particular order).

      "Piracy" and FOSS a

  • by Mr_Icon ( 124425 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @10:04AM (#25453867) Homepage

    In contrast, the rest of the world celebrates the remaining 364 piracy days.

  • by rossdee ( 243626 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @10:12AM (#25454011)

    Are they actively persuing pirates in Antarctica too? I thought the penguins ran linux
    (and I am sure the government research stations at the south pole all have licensed copies of Windows and Office)

  • REDMOND, Indian Ocean, Monday - Microsoft has announced that today is "Global Anti-Piracy Day," [today.com] with the aim to raise awareness of the damage to software innovation caused by robbery and murder on the high seas.

    "Robbery, rape and brutal murder on the high seas is just like people copying that floppy," sobbed billionaire Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "You wouldn't steal a patented software process, why would you steal a cargo ship?"

    Piracy off the coast of Somalia has made these the most dangerous waters for software development in the world. The pirates use hacked zombie PCs, sometimes impounding codebases and programming staff at the point of their Heckler & Koch MP3s and demanding warez before they are released.

    A famous attack late last year against one luxury system was foiled when the crew scared the pirates off with the Righteous Mathematical Stentor, an ear-splitting acoustic device developed in Massachusetts as a "non-lethal" free software advocacy weapon.

    Somali clan leaders have agreed to end over two decades of Unix wars in the country and have made attempts to address the piracy problem. But the tremendous lawlessness off the long eastern Somali coastline reflects the difficulty of controlling the flow of information on the Internet.

    In one breakthrough, pirate chiefs have resolved that they will never pirate Windows Vista or Office 2007. "Not even with your dick."

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