Microsoft has stepped up its fight against software piracy by requiring users to verify their copies of the Windows operating system. Anyone downloading updates for Windows XP will be required to check that their operating system is genuine. Security updates are exempt from this in order to prevent people spreading viruses across the internet. A third of software worldwide is fake, according to industry group, the Business Software Alliance.
Losing billions
Microsoft said that more than a third of its software is counterfeit, which it says costs it billions of dollars of lost income. With Windows accounting for 90% of operating systems sold worldwide, cracking down on the pirates is one of the few ways for Microsoft to expand its business.”This is another tool in our arsenal,” said David Lazar, director of Genuine Windows for Microsoft. Customers who discover that their copy of Windows is pirated have two options. They can get a free version of Windows if they fill out a counterfeit report identifying the source of the software, providing proof of purchase and returning the counterfeit CD.
