Ballmer again, 90% of Chinese MS products are pirated

[davidnix71]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/012111-ballmer-hu-china-software-piracy.html?t51hb

How do they do that? Can you get Tomato Garden in Engrish?

[Aloone_Jonez]

Probably true, the Chinese are notorious for pirating software.

I thought Microsoft were still offering updates to pirate software?

Things have gone too far in the US with protecting of IP, indoing so sacrificing consumer rights and free speech, if they go any further it will lead to more censorship Chinese style.

[Refalm]

I thought Microsoft were still offering updates to pirate software?

Microsoft still updates pirated Windows copies, because they fear that if they don't, there will be millions of Windows PC's sending spam (and that already happens on Windows PC's that are fully updated).

However, if you're not careful, and you install "Windows Validator" with the updates, you get these great pop-ups on your desktop:

Couldn't find an English picture.
Translation: "Ask for legitimate Microsoft software. You're possibly the victim of software forgery. This copy of Windows is validated as non-legal."

[Lead Head]

Heh, I've still got an install of Windows 7 RC1. The "trial" period expired months ago and I still get updates. It does randomly shut itself down every once in a while to "punish" me, but it doesn't bother me much.

I think 90% Piracy rate more than anything proves that Microsoft products just cost too much. It doesn't help of course that Chinese OEMs have no problem at all with selling computers with pirated software.