14 DAY TRIAL // This has to be a Wow moment. I mean, what else would you call it, when Windows pirates go on strike against Microsoft because the Redmond Company has threatened to take measures against the illegal use of its software products? This is the case in India where Microsoft's anti-piracy initiatives have done nothing but generate protests from local computer dealers.
In an effort to reduce piracy in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Microsoft has presented 13 local computer dealers with copyright infringement notices. The Redmond Company did so in an attempt to convince the dealers to cease installing pirated copies of Windows on computers. However, Microsoft's action failed to fall through with the Indian counterfeiters. Moreover, Microsoft is not the target of protests as the computer dealers want the company to renounce its anti-piracy claims.
The protests are local, but the Gujarat dealers hope that their pro-pirary initiative will gain momentum. Bharat Randeri, president of the South Gujarat Information Technologists Association (SITA) disputed Microsoft's claims of computer dealers handling pirated Windows copies. Randeri made it clear that the official policies of dealers steer right clear of bootlegged software products, and stated that pirated variants of Windows are not installed on the computers sold.
Still, this is largely a question of nuance. As a matter of fact, Randeri then admitted that if customers request the installation of pirated materials on their newly acquired machines, the dealers won't fight it. Randeri argued that pirated software is so popular due to the low prices associated with it.
"We have been approached by dealers in other states who are also being harassed by Microsoft. If Microsoft does not cooperate, we will tell our dealers to migrate to Linux," he threatened as cited by InfoWorld. "We support the use of legal software, but we cannot do anything if the customer does not want it because it is too costly. Microsoft should bring down the price of its software and offer better support."