Microsoft's Bizarrely Patronizing Anti-Piracy Campaign

I've said it before: If you use Microsoft's software, you oughta pay for it. I have no sympathy for pirates, especially in an era in which there's a good-to-excellent free alternative to just about every major desktop application that hails from Redmond.

But just because I wish a pox on the houses of software thieves doesn't mean I'm an ardent supporter of Microsoft's anti-piracy efforts. Actually, they drive me bonkers. For one thing, the "Windows Genuine Advantage" technologies designed to foil pirates have a history of making honest customers jump through hoops--and sometimes screwing up innocent bystanders' PCs. (At least Windows Vista SP1 removes WGA's ability to almost completely disable a PC when it thinks it's running fake Windows.)

But it's not just Microsoft's anti-piracy schemes that rankles me--it's the way Microsoft markets them. Consider this new Q&A on the Microsoft site with the worldwide director of the Microsoft Genuine Software "Initiative." It says--over and over again--that Microsoft's anti-piracy efforts are all about protecting customers from unwittingly buying counterfeit software. For good measure, it throws in the argument that reducing software piracy can create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and billions in economic growth. (Full disclosure: It makes this argument based on a study conducted for anti-software industry group the Business Software Alliance by IDC, a sister company of PC World.)

It all sounds like benevolent work in the public interest. Pirated software is full of spyware! It's hurting the global economy! Kind-hearted Microsoft is stepping in to help us combat this menace!

I buy the notion that fake software can be a problem for the people who unwittingly buy them; I even buy that Microsoft sincerely wants to take steps to help folks who have accidentally bought stolen (and potentially spyware-ridden) merchandise.

But not once in the Q&A does the company mention the notion that it wants to impede software piracy because counterfeiting costs it money.

Am I the only person in the world who'd be more likely to sympathize with Microsoft's efforts if it honestly explained that it's entitled to a profit from its wares than when it insults my intelligence with propaganda that says it's acting selflessly? Wouldn't you rather do business with a company that treats you like an intelligent adult?

The Microsoft Q&A repeatedly says it's trying to help people who have been "duped" by software counterfeiters; by failing to be up-front about its anti-piracy efforts, it's doing some duping of its own.

Mentioned towards the bottom of the page is a new pilot program that will add nag notes to Office for customers in Chile, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. Okay, it doesn't use the term "nag"--I got that from ZDNet's indispensable Mary Jo Foley Microsoft's explanation involves words like "help" and "alert."

Gee, how thoughtful...

Comments

Yeah, I've always thought it was funny that Microsoft wanted to help "protect me" from unlicensed software, which, as you mentioned, is dishonest on their part. The more intrusive Microsoft's WGA and Windows anti-piracy features become, the more users will start to disable them with cracks -- even if they legally bought the software. I hope Microsoft gets smart enough to tone down the false piracy rhetoric before they unwittingly "protect" their users from using their software at all.

RedWolf

April 28, 2008

1:31 PM PT

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danyjaber

May 15, 2008

7:57 AM PT