Taiwan Group Responsible For 90% of MSFT Piracy

Stony Stevenson writes "Microsoft claims that a small group led by a recently jailed Taiwanese man was the source of almost all high-quality pirated copies of its software up until his arrest in 2004. The claim suggests that Microsoft practically wiped out commercial piracy of its products with the arrest of Huang Jer-sheng, the owner of Taiwan-based software distributor Maximus Technology. Microsoft announced today that Huang and his associates. who were all recently sentenced to jail time, had been responsible for the 'production and distribution of more than 90 percent of the high-quality counterfeit Microsoft software products either seized by law enforcement or test-purchased around the world.'"

High quality?

[Electrode]

I didn't think there was such a thing as high-quality Microsoft software, pirated or otherwise...

High quality?

[DuncanE]

Come on... using "High quality" and "Microsoft products" in the same sentence?

So they were responsible for 9 out the 10 pirate copies of Microsoft Flight simulator then? ;-)

high quality?

[boguslinks]

had been responsible for the 'production and distribution of more than 90 percent of the high-quality counterfeit Microsoft software products

Why doesn't MSFT sell these "high-quality" products instead of the crap they've been selling us for years.

So now...

[Swampash]

Microsoft will lower the price of all its retail products right? Since it's no longer competing with pirated software.

OMG

[RuBLed]

someone's still selling Windows 3.11 for Workgroups...

Re:quantifying the unquantifable!

[Anonymous Coward]

Any opinions on whether the pope is Catholic, or if bears shit in the woods?

At least a bear can be entertaining. The pope just mumbles about the evils of human progress... never mind.

Re:high quality?

[professional_troll]

"Buy Windows Vista or we'll kill this dog" ?

The "low quality" software

[SeaFox]

...must have more 0's and not as many 1's.

Re:quantifying the unquantifable!

[houghi]

I for one am glad that they stopped the monopoly position that specific company/person had on that market share.

hmmmm

[muszek]

90% of the supply for a gigantic market is gone? Seems like a perfect business opportunity :)

Re:High quality?

[flyingsquid]

I didn't think there was such a thing as high-quality Microsoft software, pirated or otherwise...

Obviously, he modified the software extensively before selling it. The fact that it was high-quality is, of course, what tipped people off that it wasn't an authentic Microsoft product.

Re:high quality?

[Anonymous Coward]

You don't like dogs much, do you?

Re:High quality?

[hey!]

Sure. This explains Vista. They nailed this guy before the product launch, consequently there are no high quality copies around.