Microsoft responded to the media reports related to the commerce with bootlegged copies of Windows Vista. As you have been able to read right here on Softpedia, counterfeit versions of Vista have been available in China and Latin America just a few days following the commercial launch of the operating system.

Alex Kochis, senior licensing manager on the WGA team, responded to the reports commenting on the low price of the pirated Windows Vista as an indication of the fact that Microsoft's anti-piracy efforts have delivered.

Kochis commented in relation to the price of bootlegget copies of Windows Vista sold on the streets of Mexico City and Sao Paulo. "While we're not terribly surprised at this, I did hear an interesting tid-bit from a friend about the current price of a counterfeit copy of Windows Vista," revealed Kochis. "A colleague and friend of mine was travelling in Brazil recently and during her trip she took a few minutes to see what software was easily available on the streets of Sao Paulo. While Windows Vista was among the counterfeits available it was cheaper (about $5 vs $10 for other software titles) because the vendor said it 'might expire.'"

Kochis interpreted the fact that counterfeit Windows Vista is suddenly cheaper than it used to be as a positive sign. He argued that a low price is associated with reduced usability of the pirated materials.

"The fact that the value of a counterfeit copy is dropping is a sign that the product is harder to counterfeit (if it were easier to hack there should have been a non-expiring version available) and while other common applications that are less difficult to hack (and so have at least the similar basic distribution costs) still cost more is a sign that the product in its counterfeit state is truly worth-less," Kochis added.