PART 13: Bill Gates for Anti-Piracy - Bill Gates

 

Image Credit: Sciencealert


Microsoft has expanded its anti-piracy efforts by unveiling a tool that puts nag messages on the screens of computers running bogus copies of Windows.

Using its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool and a new tool called Office Genuine Advantage (OGA), Microsoft intends to detect all pirate users of its software whenever they download the constantly needed security updates.

The users who are detected running pirated software will receive constant unwanted alerts on their monitors telling them that they are using pirated software, and that they should click on a link which will take them to a website for further instructions.

A similar message pops up at random times from the system tray section of the Windows taskbar.

However, if users choose to ignore the warning, a "Resolve me later" button is available from the log-on dialog. Windows plants a permanent banner at the bottom of the screen that reads, "You might be the victim of software piracy. The copy of Windows installed on this computer is not considered to be genuine by Microsoft."

Meanwhile, all the messages will lead users to a Website where Microsoft pitches the benefits of legit Windows, and describes its previously-announced offers for free or reduced-price copies of Windows XP Home and Professional.

The tool has been used by Microsoft in a pilot program involving seven countries since November 2005. Recently it was extended to the US, UK, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand.

In a statement, Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative director, Cori Hartje, said that customers tell them that they want to know whether they are running a genuine copy of Windows, and that the WGA notifications feature is a simple and effective way to help them.

Hartje further added that it is their goal to have a very healthy software-selling ecosystem where resellers and system builders have a level playing field without the threat of competitors selling counterfeit products to their mutual customers.

Microsoft also intends to bring its certification program to the Office productivity suite, launching Office Genuine Advantage in seven languages including Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Greek, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Russian, and Spanish.

All of this forms an integral part of Microsoft's fight against piracy that is aimed at protecting its customers and partners from counterfeit software.

An Open Letter to Hobbyists

To me, the most critical thing in the hobby market right now is the lack of good software courses, books, and software itself. Without good software and an owner who understands programming, a hobby computer is wasted. Will quality software be written for the hobby market?

Almost a year ago, Paul Allen and myself, expecting the hobby market to expand, hired Monte Davidoff and developed Altair BASIC. Though the initial work took only two months, the three of us have spent most of the last year documenting, improving, and adding features to BASIC. Now we have 4K, 8K, EXTENDED, ROM and DISK BASIC. The value of the computer time we have used exceeds $40,000.

The feedback we have gotten from the hundreds of people who say they are using BASIC has all been positive. Two surprising things are apparent, however: 1) Most of these "users" never bought BASIC (less than 10% of all Altair owners have bought BASIC), and 2) The amount of royalties we have received from sales to hobbyists makes the time spent on Altair BASIC worth less that $2 an hour.

Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware must be paid for, but software is something to share. Who cares if the people who worked on it get paid?

Is this fair? One thing you don't do by stealing software is get back at MITS for some problem you may have had. MITS doesn't make money selling software. The royalty paid to us, the manual, the tape, and the overhead make it a break-even operation. One thing you do do is prevent good software from being written. Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? The fact is, no one besides us has invested a lot of money in hobby software. We have written 6800 BASIC, and are writing 8080 APL and 6800 APL, but there is very little incentive to make this software available to hobbyists. Most directly, the thing you do is theft. What about the guys who resell Altair BASIC, aren't they making money on hobby software? Yes, but those who have been reported to us may lose in the end. They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meetings they show up at.

I would appreciate letters from any who wants to pay up, or has a suggestion or comment. Nothing would please me more than being able to hire ten programmers and deluge the hobby market with good software.

/s/Bill Gates

General Partner

Micro-Soft

1180 Alvarado SE, #14

Albuquerque, NM 87108

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