A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject - Winston Churchill
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Comet is accused of selling fake Windows
SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has started legal proceedings against UK electronics firm Comet and accused it of selling counterfeit copies of Windows software.
In a statement on its web site Microsoft explained that it had evidence that Comet was selling laptops and PCs loaded with counterfeit software.
David Finn, associate general counsel for worldwide anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting at Microsoft said that the store had allegedly sold 94,000 counterfeit copies of Windows Vista and Windows XP recovery disks.
"As detailed in the complaint filed today, Comet produced and sold thousands of counterfeit Windows CDs to unsuspecting customers in the United Kingdom," Finn said.
"Comet's actions were unfair to customers. We expect better from retailers of Microsoft products - and our customers deserve better, too."
Microsoft alleged that Comet produced the counterfeit CDs itself in a factory in Hampshire.
Comet did not have a statement ready at the time of publishing, but is expected to release one soon. µ
Tags: Microsoft
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"This is the way it is, and the way it should be. Since M$ invented the personal computer, *THE INTERNET*, the operating system, the GUI, they deserve royalties on ALL computer hardware sold."
What the fuck is wrong with you?
While the CEO and management of Comet should definitely go to prison for 5 years but won't... they should get smart and write the check now or suffer a far worse fate.
As far as the criminals at Microsucks are concerned, IMO Dollar Bill and his top 200 chronies belong in prison for the next 50 years for their rape and pillage of society. History has shown however that if you have enough money you can literally commit murder and get away with it.
That being said, Comet is not justified in delivering illegal copies to consumers and should pay dearly.
Bill - my comments are not misguided but just that I am fed up with a lack of choice! If I COULD buy a PC WITH LINUX then I would but in general that is not the case. There is certainly interest out there. An estimated 20-30 million people use Ubuntu - that is plenty of potential customers - and Canonical (who distribute Ubuntu) are based in the Isle of Man - the closest we have to a British operating system! If somebody could go into a major PC store like PCWorld and see PCs running Windows 7 alongside PCs running (say) Ubuntu 11.10 (or Fedora 16) and Apple Macs that would be real choice (as long as the PCs/Laptops were comparable - i.e. not pitching just Netbooks running Linux against powerful state-of-the-art laptops running Windows). Many (like you) would be quite happy with Windows and choose that (and what you use should ultimately be up to you) but people could make their own minds up. Preloading Windows on ALL PCs (at least in the high street) is creating an effective monopoly. What if (say) all mobile phones in the UK had an O2 SIM in them but "you COULD put another SIM in them if you REALLY WANT to"! There would be outrage (and quite rightly so). I am not against Microsoft but I am pro-choice. Microsoft did NOT invent the personal computer - there were plenty of those around before the IBM PC (and clones) took off - those of us who grew up in the 70-80's remember PET's, TRS-80's, BBC Micros + Archimedes, Sinclair Spectrums, CP/M-80 based business machines and all that. No Microsoft there.
@BillyBob - there is no choice, you buy a PC, you need to pay the M$ tax. Want another O/S? Still have to pay that M$ tax, even if you don't use the M$-0/$.
This is the way it is, and the way it should be. Since M$ invented the personal computer, the internet, the operating system, the GUI, they deserve royalties on ALL computer hardware sold.
As far as I understand of this issue, the Windows copy loaded on the systems was not illegal. It was a perfectly licensed copy for which Microsoft received money. As per Microsoft policy, the users no longer get recovery CD along with the system but they can create it themselves. Since many users find this troublesome or do not understand this at all and face trouble when they need to recover, Comet just tried to be user friendly by creating recovery disks and supplying them with the system and apparently this somehow violates the Microsoft licensing terms. If my understanding is correct, Microsoft is being nasty on purpose
It's inane to refer to "fake" Windows (and I don't care if Microsoft itself chooses to do so - it's still inane).
It would be very difficult to create software that looks like Windows but isn't. What is meant by "fake" Windows is, of course, perfectly genuine Windows that is sold without Microsoft getting its proper cut. It's nothing to do with authenticity, and everything to do with Microsoft's profits.
John,
It never ceases to amaze me how simple minded individuals like to post and constantly bash Microsoft. Given the article was about recovery disks and not pre-loads, you're comment is inane and misguided.
Who cares about the OS: Windows, Ubuntu, Fedora or Mac...what it comes down to is what the buyer wants and chooses. Let's face it 90% of users want simplicity and the app base to run on their devices and therefore go for Windows or Mac - that's what it comes down to. Not your misguided comments...
If they had preloaded copies of a polished Linux distribution such as Ubuntu or Fedora instead of trying to (allegedly) sell PCs loaded with illegal copies of Windows then perhaps they could have offered their customers something new and interesting rather than extending the enforced anti-competitive preloading of Windows.