At first I was going to paraphrase what Kyle had to say, but I thought better of it. I feel that what he has to say should be presented in his own words. So here is what Kyle has to say about piracy in Russia:

“Is It Really Piracy,

When it is a way of life!!!!

By, Kyle Keeton

This is an article on Piracy, The crime of the century to some, the way of life to others.

First off let’s delete the term pirate, Let us call them, Software Vendors.

The software vendor in Russia is a well respected business, they supply to Russia, the software necessary to keep the personal computers up to date. The average Russian now makes a whole 200 dollars a month. (Example- A Doctorate, Professor in a major university makes 300 dollars a month.)

If lucky enough to get on with McDonalds, You can make 10,000 rubles a month. Which is roughly 400 dollars a month? So education means, very little, for wages. Most citizens are on government assist and they get 100 dollars a month. Moscow is one of the most expense cities in the world to live in, just look at the statistics on most expensive cities. Everyone helps each other. That’s how 10 million people live with in Moscow boarders.

The muscovite will give his last shirt to you if you need it more, His last ruble if you need it more. They will make sure that the elders are taken care of first, the children are happy, and no one starving. You will buy, from an old lady near the Metro stations, Home made food items. You may not eat these items, but you buy them to help her out. Then again if you trust her cooking, it could be the greatest food on earth. The software vendor is part of life in Russia, just like the little old lady selling food and flowers at the Metro entrance. The software vendor is not doing a bad thing; he or she is just trying to make a living among 10 million souls. All packed into a very small area. Moscow has the busiest Subway system in the world (Metro); 9 million people ride it every day.

So the software vendor is not getting a lot of money for his services, Vista runs, 8 dollars. XP professional runs 7 dollars. DVDs run from 1 dollar to 5 dollars. All software is available and cheap. All movies are available and cheap. The software vendor is not alone in selling you software. There are thousands of vendors in a row, like a mall. They all want your business, so competition is strong. They welcome the haggling and bartering. The more you buy the better the price per disk will be, you can buy as cheap almost, as you can burn a disk yourself. The average Russian truly can not afford to buy the software. They will pay, a few dollars for Vista, but they will not pay hundreds of dollars for Vista. The price of Vista is more than they make in a month.

I live in Moscow; my rent is 500 dollars a month, the electricity cost 50 dollars a month, water free (for now). The Metro runs me about 50 dollars a month, the buses or trolleys runs about 50 dollars a month. Food is very expensive by USA standards; the quality is no where near the same. 200 dollars a month is spent on food. Other miscellaneous expenses, 200 dollars. 1000 dollars is my budget, I very rarely meet my budget. (Example, 4 AA batteries cost 15 dollars) Doing this article I burned up a whole set batteries. There goes the budget.

So, the average Russian makes 200 dollars a month. I spend 5 months salaries every month. They think I am rich. I am American, You are Rich!!!!!!! I do not know how Russians make it, I could not make it.

Microsoft had an article, that Russia is one of the target countries, for conversion to Microsoft and lessens piracy, The Russian is considered poor, so they have Vista starter, For 99 dollars, to underprivileged counties. Russians are insulted by that price and being considered poverty state. Vista Starter is as much money as the average Russian gets on state aid. Which is half the country. Will they buy it? NO, they will get Vista Ultimate for 8 dollars, or they will download it them selves for free. They also will tell you that Vista is not worth it even free, why buy it; the vendors will tell you that XP still out sells Vista.

What is the most popular software in Russia, all of it, What operating system will be used, all of them, I sent a picture that sums up the feelings here, Windows and Linux displayed together, same cost, same package, The software is considered the same. Windows is not worshiped like it is in America. Linux cost the same, as Adobe, the same as Coral, the same as Windows, So when Microsoft, makes what seems like stupid statements to me and other parts of the world, I have to stop and think about what they are comparing too. In Russia they are not the number one operating system, there is an article out now, Microsoft has released 30 million lines of code to Russia, to help counter Linux influence.

There was a law suit in Russia, over software; everyone thinks Microsoft is behind it. Microsoft is staying out of it, they are smart. For if the people here for one second thought that Microsoft was pushing to put a teacher in Siberia in jail for 5 years, The windows operating system would be flushed down the drain. The people would install the next 8 dollar software. The truth behind the teacher lawsuit is that an overly jealous prosecutor in the Siberia district saw headlines, with his name on it. The world is pushing Russia to crush Pirates; Better yet the USA is pushing. The United Nations is pushing. We all know who runs the U.N. (USA). So this prosecutor made this teachers life miserable, all in the name of politics.

The Register

CBS News

Political Gateway

Market Watch

Microsoft

After Dawn

Yes this case is true and is how the Russian people feel from, the average person, to the government levels, the attitude of the prosecutor is not the normality.

What is piracy in Russia? There is not piracy in Russia! The people of Russia are wonderful and good moral human beings. They do not feel that they are stealing Vista; they are willing to pay for it so that a fellow Moscow person can make a living. What they are able to pay for it, is much less than someone in the USA can pay for it. They do not go to underground secret software, sites that only the low life’s on earth go. The whole family goes to the mall and shops; I sent several pictures that portray the citizen. Everyone, shops for software, just like you do. Just that they have a tremendous price break. So when the whole society accepts the actions, When the whole society, has never known any other source of software, Is it wrong? Is it piracy? Is it criminal? Russia- No, USA-Yes. Microsoft- Is founded on trading and stolen ideas. Could that be why 30 million lines of code have been given to Russia?

Kyle Keeton”

Thanks Kyle for sharing your thoughts. Part #3 tomorrow.

Tags: russia, pirate, software, microsoft