14 DAY TRIAL // The Windows platform and the Office productivity suite are Microsoft's main cash cows. But this status quo also implies that the two products are among the most prominent targets for software piracy worldwide. The Redmond company has taken a passive approach to both Windows and Office piracy with the Windows Genuine Advantage and Office Genuine Advantage programs, but there is only so much that the two mechanisms can do. Additionally, Microsoft is also taking legal measures to stop piracy. In this context, the company has announced the debut of no less than 23 lawsuits targeting software distributors in California and Florida allegedly selling counterfeit Microsoft software products.
"As part of an ongoing effort to address the issue of piracy, these filings bring Microsoft's total during the past year to 125 actions. The filings are done to help protect honest system builders and resellers who find it difficult to compete against companies selling pirated software. Software piracy cost the U.S. economy around $7.3 billion in revenue in 2006, according to a study conducted by industry analyst firm IDC and commissioned by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Not only is Microsoft focused on protecting its intellectual property, but it's also concerned with ensuring that customers who use Microsoft software get the full benefits of the product," reads a fragment of the Microsoft press release announcing the lawsuits.
Microsoft emphasized the fact that the lawsuits are designed to shield users from the shortcomings associated with purchasing counterfeit software. With Windows Vista and the Office 2007 system, Microsoft has taken a range of preemptive anti-piracy measures from including the WGA and the OGA in the architecture of the two products to custom shaped boxes to differentiate genuine software from bootlegged alternatives. However, Windows XP and Office 2003 are still somewhat barefoot when it comes to anti-piracy measures, and the new 23 lawsuits are in fact focused on illegal distributors of pirated versions of the predecessors of Vista and Office 2007.
"Whether customers buy a new computer or software from a large retail chain or an independent business in their neighborhood, we want them to feel confident that they'll have the security and support they need when using our product," said Mary Jo Schrade, senior attorney at Microsoft.