[pchelpers] Microsoft to Require Legitimate Windows for Downloads

Hi folks,

Microsoft to Require Legitimate Windows for Downloads
   In what will surely be seen as a controversial move, Microsoft this 
morning announced a roadmap for moving to a future in which Windows 
users must prove that their OSs aren't pirated before they can download 
any software from Microsoft.com or Windows Update. The plan, dubbed 
Windows Genuine Advantage, is being phased in over time, although 
representatives of the company told me last night that they'll continue 
to let even pirated Windows versions download critical security patches 
through Automatic Updates.
   "The best way to fight software piracy is to ensure that users 
recognize and receive all the benefits of genuine software," Will 
Poole, senior vice president of the Windows Client Business, said. 
"When our customers participate in Windows Genuine Advantage, they will 
know they have easy access to updates, added-value software offerings, 
and other benefits of genuine Windows XP, not the uncertainty and risks 
of counterfeit software."
   Windows Genuine Advantage has been in a pilot program since last 
fall, when Microsoft released Photo Story 3, its free photo slide show 
application. Positioned as a value-added bonus for users of legitimate 
copies of Windows, Photo Story 3 and similar downloads have been 
protected by an opt-in software download mechanism in five languages--
Czech, English Norwegian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. 
Users who have opted in to the mechanism download an ActiveX control 
that can scan their PCs and determine whether their OSs are pirated.
   David Lazar, director for Windows Genuine Advantage, told me that 
the pilot program was successful, with more than 60 percent of all 
users attempting to download such programs volunteering to go through 
the scanning process. As a result of this success, Microsoft is now 
working to implement the technology for all downloads on 
Microsoft.com's Download Center and Windows Update. In the first phase 
of the plan, which will begin on February 7, Czech, Norwegian, and 
Simplified Chinese users will be required to validate their Windows 
copies before they can download software and security patches, whereas 
the technology will continue to be piloted in 22 other languages 
worldwide. Then, sometime around mid-year, the technology will become 
mandatory for virtually all languages that Microsoft supports.
   Windows Genuine Advantage is designed to reward owners of nonpirated 
Windows copies with value-added advantages for being legitimate 
customers. Like Product Activation, Windows Genuine Advantage seeks to 
curb software piracy, which various analyst groups say is rampant 
around the world. IDC reports that software piracy is a $30 billion 
problem, with pirated software accounting for about 30 percent of all 
software used worldwide; in the United States, that figure is 23 
percent.
   Unlike the way the company managed Product Activation, however, 
Microsoft is trying to work with the user community to ensure that 
there aren't any perception problems. "When we started Product 
Activation [with Windows XP], we announced and launched the technology 
on the same day, which was not so bright," Lazar told me. "Customers 
couldn't ask questions. This time, we let them opt in [for several 
months] and provide feedback. Customers who are concerned about privacy 
will be happy to hear that we've had a third party audit the process to 
make sure it's anonymous. We can't identify users who try to start a 
download, and we don't log IP addresses."
   Microsoft is also touting various incentives in the three markets 
that will soon be required to participate in the program. For example, 
legitimate users will gain access to free, value-added software 
downloads such as Windows Movie Maker 2.1 and Photo Story 3. MSN Games 
by Zone.com will be priced at 50 percent off the regular price. And 
small business customers who want to purchase hosted Windows SharePoint 
Services (WSS) will be able to do so for 50 percent off. The company 
will offer other incentives as well, and Lazar told me that customers 
in other markets will get similar deals as the mandatory Windows 
Genuine Advantage program is instituted worldwide.
   If a legitimate user can't download Microsoft software because he or 
she is unknowingly using a pirated copy of Windows, the user will be 
able to purchase a legitimate copy at a steep discount. But Lazar said 
that legitimate copies of Windows can't be mistaken for pirated 
versions. "There were no incidences of false positives during the pilot 
program," he said.
   Finally, users who do opt to continue pirating Windows will be able 
to continue downloading critical security fixes via Automatic Updates 
only. As a result, such systems will be less likely to be used in 
zombie-type Internet-based attacks, answering a key criticism of 
Microsoft's plan to let only legitimate users use Windows Update.
   Regardless of these moves, my suspicion is that some users will be 
taken aback by this tactic. The online world will be in an uproar over 
this change by the time you read this. But after the calls to migrate 
to less-strictly licensed OSs such as Linux die down a few days from 
now, Windows users will have to start dealing with a harsh new reality. 
It will be interesting to see whether this change brings any long-term 
fallout, although, arguably, legitimate customers have nothing to fear.

-- 
Scott.




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