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Chinese copyright cops diss Windows Nagware

Inappropriate
Tuesday, 28 October 2008, 16:50

FIRST, USERS began moaning about Microsoft's latest anti-piracy campaign in China. Now a copyright official has joined in the chorus of disapproval.

Volish Nagware under Microsoft's Genuine Advantage programme was leaving some users with a Black Screen of Iniquity if it thought software illegitimate. They were miffed.

Now, vice-director of China's National Copyright Administration, Yan Xiaohong has cast aired doubts over Microsoft tactics.

"Whether the 'black-out' method should be adopted is open to question. Measures for safeguarding rights also need to be appropriate," he said.

While he said he understood the "rights-safeguarding move taken by institutions including Microsoft," Yan told Xinhua news agency that companies such as Microsoft should "pay attention to the methods."

In a hint at the real issue, here, Yan suggested Microsoft's pricing was not quite what the Chinese are used to.

"The company adopted unified prices in the past without considering the income gap between developed and developing countries, so we need to kindly remind them that Chinese customers' affordability should be considered," he said, according to a Reuters report.

He suggested the software giant had been a bit heavy handed The firm's methods should "fit the Chinese situation," he said. µ

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Comments
Price?

"Yan suggested Microsoft's pricing was not quite what the Chinese are used to"

So someplace between free and $5 would be about right...

Don't forget to use lead paint for the silk screened label.

posted by : Tom, 28 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Linux

"so we need to kindly remind them that Chinese customers' affordability should be considered"

Can't beat free!

posted by : Peter, 28 October 2008 Complain about this comment
iPirate

It really doesn't matter, there are far more pirated copies of windows than bought.

Fact.

Microsoft is trying to make sure the world doesn't buy cheaper windows copies through a developing country with cheap copies...

This naturally bites microsoft in the ass in the form of piracy.

Microsoft will eventually defeat itself.

posted by : Someone Special, 28 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Valid point...invalid proposition

I'm all for allowing less fortunate people access to important technologies and the idea of getting some money from poor people for a product instead of them pirating it is even better but this idea of welfare to less affluent countries based on their world status is even more inequitable. This idea would further the economic divide in these countries as the rich citizens would benefit from keeping the poor poor so they could get better deals. It's also unfair to the poor in more affluent countries.

A few years ago this made sense but with the advent of high quality free Linux distributions, there isn't a real strong basis for an argument here. The more use it gets, the better it will get and the Chinese population could make Linux a powerhouse by contributing to it's development in man hours and cheap donations that they could afford.

posted by : CB, 28 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Copyright is just a shell game

just a way to grab money

posted by : JLD, 28 October 2008 Complain about this comment
BOHICA

So, in other words, Microsoft: BEND OVER!

posted by : Rich Wargo, 29 October 2008 Complain about this comment
"China's National Copyright Administration" !?!

...



Sorry, my mind just blew a few cells there and had to reboot.

posted by : Pascal Monett, 29 October 2008 Complain about this comment
AFFORDABILITY

I HOPE THAT MICROSOFT WOULD MAKE THEIR OS MUCH AFFORDABLE BECAUSE IT'S VERY COSTLY TO BUY 1 NOWADAYS DUE TO ECONOMIC CRISIS.
I'AM APPEALING TO MICROSOFT TO HAVE A CONSIRERATION IN LOWERING THEIR OS.

posted by : WINDOWS, 29 October 2008 Complain about this comment
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