14 DAY TRIAL // 35 percent of all software bought today is counterfeit, Microsoft Director of License Compliance Cori Hartje refers to estimates from the Business Software Alliance. For some, this may not seem that shocking. For Microsoft, this means millions and millions of dollars that could have been added to their revenue.
Microsoft made the WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) program mandatory last year. It is a non-piracy program that now requires customers to download an ActiveX control that checks the authenticity of their Windows software before allowing them to upgrade.
Joe Stopski is the vice president of business development at Fusion Microsystems, an OEM, says that counterfeit and pirated software makes a difference not only to Microsoft, but also to the little guy. "[The] perception in the past was it's strictly a Microsoft-centric problem," Stopski said. "But what happens with companies such as ours, it's not just the Microsoft part [of the sale] that you lose. You go in and are working with other competitive partners out there, and all it takes is one using pirated software. It's not just one piece of software you lose-you end up losing the total deal, the $150,000 deal."
Microsoft has heard the deafening calls of the little guys and have taken steps to counteract some pirating. Microsoft in filed charges against 10 parties December, the charges were against people and companies who allegedly violated its MAPS (Microsoft Action Pack Subscriptions).
Cori Hartje added, "We want to make sure we protect and help OEM system builders and partners, because it's hard to compete? There's a small margin in systems. If somebody down the street is selling a counterfeit Windows system and you're selling legitimate software, it's very hard to compete."
It might be some time in the making before Microsoft and their OEMs get the fairness that they deserve. Maybe Vista will be harder to crack than previous MS software.