In an effort to discourage piracy of Windows XP, Microsoft announced that customers wishing to update their versions of the program will have to prove their copy is genuine. The Redmond, Wash.-based software company is also offering a bit of amnesty to those who’ve unwittingly installed or received pirated copies.
Entitled Windows Genuine Advantage, the program aims to cut losses caused by software piracy.
Security-related patches will be exempt from the validation requirement, and will be available by manual download or automatic update. The catch is, Microsoft and Windows Update utilities, which provide notifaction of new patch availability, will require validation.
When XP users wish to update the operating system, they will be prompted to download an ActiveX control to check the authenticity of the software. Once validated, a special download key is stored on the PC for future verification. Thus, the 25-digit product key will not be required for future downloads.
Validation can be done at Microsoft’s Download Center, a process that does not collect any information from customer PC’s.
Microsoft is offering incentives to legitimate customers who validate their software by offering around $450 in software.
If the software turns out to be bogus, there are two options for those wishing to make amends and receive new updates. Those who send in their CDs with proof of purchase and fill out a piracy report will receive a legitimate copy of Windows free of charge. Without proof of purchase, customers can fill out a piracy report and buy a licensed copy of Windows XP Home ($99) or Windows XP Professional ($149)-cheaper than the market price of a new one.
“During the 10-month pilot of WGA, we have been very encouraged by the large number of customers — more than 40 million in all — who chose to participate in WGA because they were concerned about piracy and wanted a way to determine whether their Windows software was genuine,” said Will Poole, senior vice president of the Windows Client Business at Microsoft.
“It also became clear that customers want to take advantage of special offers reserved for genuine users, with the peace of mind that their software will deliver the features, options and performance they need.”
The Windows Genuine Advantage program is the hopeful savior of millions of dollars in losses the multi-billion dollar company suffers at the hands of pirates. An estimated 35 percent of all software on computers is thought to be pirated, translating to a total of $33 billion in lost revenue to software producers worldwide.
Cracking down on pirated software is thought to be one of the few ways Microsoft can actually increase its business, as over 90 percent of desktops use Windows OS.
