In China Stealing is a Way of Life

[onedomino]

Microsoft now scans your PC for pirated software and disables or reduces the feature set of programs that it suspects are stolen. If the “Windows Genuine Advantage” software ever gets loose in China, millions of people and businesses may not be able to run their computers. Of course, to get WGA downloaded on to your computer you must visit the Windows update webpage. Isn’t WGA a great name for software that can kill the normal functioning of your computer? Anyway, I do not suppose people with stolen software often go to the Windows update site. When I lived in Shanghai, I was impressed with the sea of stolen software that was used everywhere, from personal laptops to “legitimate” businesses (including government owned businesses). Microsoft maintains that the Chinese have ripped it off for billions worth of software. From direct experience, I believe it. Of course the Chinese rip offs do not stop with just software. There are video shops that contain nothing but stolen Hollywood movies on DVD. These DVDs are also sold by street vendors out of shoe boxes. A still-in-the-theaters (and amazingly sometimes before the film is released in theaters) Hollywood film DVD sells on the streets of Shanghai for the equivalent of a bit less than $1 dollar. The Chinese steal everything and have zero conscience about it: software, films, music, books, designer logos, machines (they copy machines and then put their own brand on the designs and engineering of other people and companies), you name it.

http://www.physorg.com/news115972112.html

 

[ronpaul2008]

Yes and much that money is not from stealing the software average people use like Windows but enterprise software corporations use. Then companies here outsource to them claiming its cheaper. Microsoft should go after American companies who do this to recoup loseses. To make matters worse the people and corporations in other countries are often not taxed or hardly taxed, and our politicians who raised our taxes so high that our workers cannot compete shrug their shoulders and blame us, rather then themselves.

 

[Psychoblues]

And you must admit that in America our corporate farmers, retailers, landlords, security agents, etc, etc. actually earn their excessive wealth and otherwise good fortune?

 

[Diuretic]

China should go Open Source

Actually I have a dvd with a copy of Red Flag Linux on it, no kidding. I don't have the language skills to use it of course but it's touted as being supported by the Chinese government and an "alternative to Windows". Yep, plenty of alternatives to Windows around, why the heck would they pirate stuff?