It seems pirated copies of Windows 7 are already in the Chinese market. This is definitely a BAD news for Microsoft. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE59F1B520091016
They should try and up security. Sales will definitely decrease if they don't try and stop them from selling their product.
Sales was never good in third world countries in the first place. $300 bucks for a copy, that's over a month of their salaries. Another way around, would you pay $1500 for a software in the US?
That's sad and carljohn has said absolutely correct statement, the average income in third world countries is very low...they can't afford to buy the original license.. after all, the living expenses are more important that buying MS softwares lol..
China just has all the "booty". Some of the movie companies from the US even offered china dvds for $4 if they would stop the piracy. And Microsoft is going to be taken over by linux. Open source is booming right now.
The issue MS (and all software providers have) is that there are groups who crack copyright protection no matter what. Server authentication, USB authentication, Serials are all cracked within days. Unfortunately you will never stop the pirates.
Of course, there is a LAW. Even once Micorosoft and Chinese Govt had talks and turned the screens BLACK in case of XP.
Doesn't surprise me. Things like win7 that are more popular tend to be pirated and hacked the fastest or more often. Microsoft always seems to take a big hit on several of their software line. I wouldn't trust any pirated software. Who knows what is really in it. If there is some kind of key logger, virus, or anything else in there or any pirated other pirated software for that matter. Even the legit free bee software out there these days I do much more checking and investigating. Then download from the source maker/programmer/creator rather than a 3rd party site.
Copyright, trademark, IP laws in China are something of a new concept and something totally strange to most of the people there. And one can argue the Chinese government doesn't care about piracy. They make money, and lots of people are employed in the production of fake goods. It's not in their interest to fight piracy. Fake software, fake clothing, fake electronics, fake medicine... Almost anything you can think of.
I have friends who work for the government in Mexico in many different fields. All have the same response to piracy: you should see the computers at work. They don't buy ANY software-- just build custom computers and install windows xp. Yes- the downloaded version!
The pirated W7 version is all over the piracy sites on the internet... when installing, it even doesn't ask for a key or something. Just press install and that's all, fully activated and working. I watched a video about it. Similar things as in China happen in the East European countries and majority Asian countries too. The only exception is that in Europe you don't find pirated software at retailers neither Eastern nor Western part. Anyway, in the Eastern Europe the legal software sales are at a very very low level because people prefer to download soft, music, movies etc... from the internet instead of buying stuff. I personally wouldn't use pirated Windows because... never know what's inside.
Lol, and these people talking about pirates..... Dudes, anyone who knows about torrents will download win7 from there, cause it's even easier and cheaper than to BUY PIRATED BOX "law" americans as well
I think Piracy is big issue not in CHINA as well in whole Asia, this could not completely finished within 1-2 years! I guess if it finished then Asians may not rise their living standards