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Microsoft to announce 'Global Anti-Piracy Day'

Ina Fried CNET News

Published: 21 Oct 2008 09:17 BST

Microsoft plans on Tuesday to announce 'Global Anti-Piracy Day', an effort to gain attention for the steps the company undertakes to thwart those who would profit from illegitimate software.

As part of the event, Microsoft is highlighting recent efforts against counterfeit software in 49 countries, ranging from the filing of lawsuits in the US to a seminar for journalists in Pakistan.

"One of the things we want to illustrate with this announcement is the diverse nature of the work," Microsoft associate general counsel David Finn said in an interview from Singapore.

The third pillar of Microsoft's efforts is its engineering work, adding programs like Windows Genuine Advantage that are designed to make it harder, and less rewarding, to copy Microsoft products.

Windows XP continues to be copied far more than Vista, although it is unclear whether that is a testament to tougher engineering, the lukewarm response to the latest Microsoft operating system, or both.

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"We continue to see much more counterfeit Windows XP," said Finn, adding that the company is predicting a rise in XP counterfeiting as the last legitimate copies of the operating system find their way off retail shelves.

Finn said Microsoft and the software industry are making progress in some areas. He noted that the counterfeiting rate in Western Europe has dropped to about 34 percent from the 78 percent level in 1991.

At the same time, however, rates still top 90 percent in some emerging markets. Even in the US, where rates are a relatively low 20 percent, that still means one-fifth of software installations are illegitimate.

"It thwarts innovation," Finn said.

Credit: Microsoft celebrates antipiracy day from CNET News