Microsoft - Stealing From Us Is OK - Pirates Are Welcome
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Yesterday I had posted a article in which a Microsoft exec. had stated that 20 to 25% of all software being used in the US was pirated. Story here. And then I received a email from one of my fellow LG posters saying that I should do a follow-Up to my original post and include what else the exec. had to say, which was:
“If they’re going to pirate somebody, we want it to be us rather than somebody else,” Raikes said.
So why didn’t I include this statement in my original posting? Because I felt it was a asinine remark and should not be dignified by passing it around the Internet any further than it has been. Here is a man who is making the ‘big bucks’ telling a group of intelligent people that it is OK to steal from us because we may than be able to convert these pirates into new customers.
This must be some sort of a new business model that I am not aware of. Does anyone know if this new business model is being taught in our colleges and universities? Or is the new mentality of corporate America in which we not only condone theft but we tell folks it’s OK?
If this is the case, then I know exactly how Dell should proceed and how they can gain market share. Michael Dell should do a TV commercial saying, “Buy a new Dell computer from us using a stolen credit card. Once you see how great our computers are you will be a convert and will buy another Dell. Don’t have a stolen credit available, no problem. Just call 1-800- CROOKED and will give you one! After all, customer satisfaction here at Dell is our number one priority!”
Comments as always are welcome.
6 Comments
Kyle Keeton
March 15th, 2007
at 5:58am
Ron,
Seems that on my day off, I have nothing better to do but pick on Ron, I promise that this will be all for this day, but not all for everyday,
I have to answer your question, about: “This must be some sort of a new business model that I am not aware of. Does anyone know if this new business model is being taught in our colleges and universities? Or is the new mentality of corporate America in which we not only condone theft but we tell folks it’s OK?”
I think that if you read your article on Hackistan, You might find the University, That teaches this philosophy. Now I am beging to wonder if Hackistan is real. Could Corporate America be sending students to this school,
Joking aside, The war between Pirates and Corporates has gotten out of hand. We little people only know half the story and that half is tainted, I respect your decision for not including the statement,
“If they’re going to pirate somebody, we want it to be us rather than somebody else,” Raikes said.
I for one, consider my self to be intelligent.
You are Correct.
Good Job
Kyle Keeton
Tim Hodkinson
March 15th, 2007
at 6:59am
I know: Dell should allow support contracts and warranties to be transferrable, just like car warranties. So if you buy a used Dell that’s still under warranty, or steal one, Dell will apply what’s left of the warranty to the new owner, even if it’s a thief. Thieves are customers, too.
With regards to Microsoft, though, I think it’s all about market share. Microsoft’s power and influence in the computing industry is directly related to their userbase. Piracy is an indicator of demand; it shows to what lengths (some) people will go to get Windows.
I think MS fears competition more than a drop in “quarterly earnings”. Competition threatens their existence, while piracy only threatens a portion of their profits. They’d rather see people become pirates than Linux users.
I’m sure the sudden rise of Firefox has been well noted by MS. It wouldn’t surprise me if MS sees FF as the thin edge of the wedge. When people start discovering that the best isn’t always MS, then they’ll be more open to alternative office suites and maybe even whole operating systems…
Ron Schenone
March 15th, 2007
at 8:52am
Hi Kyle,
Thanks for the information. And I have sent you a email this AM.
Ron Schenone
March 15th, 2007
at 9:00am
Hi Tim,
I like your thinking. With market share MS can continue it’s domination. And I like your thought about MS would rather have people pirate MS products, than having them use Linux.
And how about this: A thief steals your Dell computer and the system develops problems. Have the thief get Dell to fix it and send the bill to the original owner! We can call it a extended warranty !
Later, Ron
Rick Hogan
March 16th, 2007
at 3:08pm
Hi Ron,
You are missing an important point. While software piracy is a form of stealing, it is simply not the same as stealing physical property. Your entire analogy is completely wrong.
For example, what happens if someone posts a “cracked” copy of Windows on a warez site, and 1000 people download it? Microsoft can rightfully claim that they should have been paid for those 1000 copies of Windows that were illegally downloaded, but what have they really lost out of pocket? It’s not like someone is going to have to go to work and make 1000 new copies of Windows to replace the “stolen” copies.
On the other hand, when you talk about stealing Dell computers, or buying computers with stolen credit cards, you are talking about stealing actual physical property. Someone actually has to go to work and make 1000 new computers to replace those that were stolen. Or in the case of using stolen credit cards, someone has to come up with the money to pay for the loss. It’s not just a loss of potential sales, but a true out-of-pocket loss in this case.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to say that software piracy isn’t stealing. Cleary piracy is stealing. However, software piracy is different because software is not a physical product.
Your analogy might make sense if you were talking about someone buying retail copies of Windows using stolen credit cards compared to someone buying Dell computers using stolen credit cards. Now, in both cases, the credit card companies are out real money.
Rick
Ron Schenone
March 16th, 2007
at 3:23pm
Hello Rick,
Thank you for posting your thoughts. And I agree with what you said, potential sales vs physical loss. What I was trying to show was how crazy even the thought of a MS exec. saying that stealing from us is OK, is just darn silly. IMHO.
Again, thanks for your comments. They are appreciated.
All the best, Ron