Microsoft anti-piracy tactic upsets China PC users

BEIJING -- Microsoft is trying to annoy Chinese software users into buying genuine copies of Windows software.

The company drew criticism from a top copyright official and howls from consumers here over its new anti-piracy method: When it detects that an improper copy of Windows is running, Microsoft turns the computer screen black.

Users can switch it back manually only to have the process repeat itself every 60 minutes amid a stream of warnings: "You may be the victim of pirated software."

Microsoft's "Windows Genuine Advantage" initiative, started in 2005 to fight software piracy, goes further in China than in other countries. Microsoft said it wants to protect its intellectual property and help users avoid computer viruses.

But the program has left many users disgruntled in a market where pirated software is widespread.

Yan Xiaohong, vice director of the National Copyright Administration, told the state New China News Agency late Monday that his agency supported corporate efforts to safeguard their copyrights but questioned this approach.

Method questioned

"Whether the 'blackout' method should be adopted is open to question," Yan said. "Measures for safeguarding rights also need to be appropriate."

Some computer users said they appreciated that their government was protecting their interests but weren't worried about the inconvenience. A rash of free fixes have sprung up, including one called "360 Guard," which allows users to filter out Microsoft downloads that aren't pirate friendly.

"No matter how severe the anti-piracy efforts are, Chinese users will figure out how to get around them," said Yang Fangzhou, 25, a brokerage worker from Fujian province.

"Most people here don't want to spend the money and have no moral qualms about using pirated software."

Recent polls on Chinese Web portals found most respondents used pirated copies of Windows XP and Vista, and more than 70 percent strongly disliked Windows Genuine Advantage.

"Hacker" Microsoft

Last week, Beijing attorney Dong Zhengwei sent a complaint to China's Ministry of Public Security urging the police to go after Microsoft for economic damage and collective inconvenience. He termed the company's program a "hacker-style attack" that infringed on users' privacy without their permission.

An estimated 82 percent of software in China is pirated, according to the Business Software Alliance industry group, compared with 20 percent in the United States.

"I think Microsoft is doing the right thing to protect its legal rights," said Su Wei, 31, a real-estate consultant, who then admitted he's never purchased genuine software. "There's little risk," he said. "And you can download it for free."

Microsoft has tried various strategies to stem piracy in China, including giving software to schools and government offices in hopes of building a legitimate base and offering discounts to users of pirated products who switch.

Past experiments in other markets with disabling programs outright met with such an outcry that it backed off. In China, the company is wary of angering the government given its power over markets.

In 2007, Microsoft supported raids in southern China on groups that reportedly made and distributed $2 billion in counterfeit software in 27 countries.

And in August, at the behest of Microsoft, Chinese police shut down the Tomato Garden Web site to stop it from offering free pirated Windows XP downloads.

Too expensive

Some critics in China argue that such an integral part of the Chinese economy as computing software should not be in U.S. hands. They also complain Microsoft charges too much in a country that still has widespread poverty.

Legal Windows XP software sells for around $140 in China, compared with a few dollars or less for pirated versions.

Some online forums in China have needled Microsoft by offering free downloads of "genuine pirated" black desktop wallpaper.