The other day, Microsoft announced their Windows Genuine Advantage Program, which was designed to reduce piracy of the Microsoft’s operating system, would be mandatory if users would like to continue to receive Windows updates.
As with other Microsoft-related news, reactions were quick and ardent, running the gamut from understanding to out and out disagreement. The following excerpts are a cross-section of the journalistic response to Microsoft’s GAP. The question is, will it ultimately help them in their goal to curb software piracy?
Channel Praises Microsoft
CRN.com, a member of the Channel Group, gave kudos to Microsoft for introducing WGAP, saying that something similar was long over-due:
“Another system builder said he doesn’t worry so much about the margins on software sales but that he loses deals worth anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000 and potentially lucrative long-term customer relationships. He said he is pleased that users of pirated and unauthorized versions of Windows that attempt verification through the Windows Genuine Advantage site will be notified that they have a bad copy and advise them to contact their reseller.”
However, eWeek Does Not
Not all the opinions covering WGAP were flattering. One publication in particular to umbrage to the service, questioning whether or not it has security risks, and suggesting the attempt was somewhat underwhelming.
The first article by Ryan Narnaine looks at potential security issues surrounding WGAP.
“However, [Rick Fleming, chief technical officer at Texas-based security outfit Digital Defense Inc.] said any move to limit the application of critical security fixes will “create bigger headaches” for everyone.
“The security implications concern me,” he said. “Even now, with patches available to everyone, we know there are folks who ignore software security. There are others who will simply refuse to validate, and their unpatched machines will be a bigger threat.”
For its part, Microsoft said it will continue to push out critical security updates to customers through Windows Automatic Updates, with or without product key validation.”
eWeek author Larry Seltzer had a different look at Microsoft’s anti-piracy program. Larry is of the opinion that WGAP is a trivial step towards preventing software theft.
“ctivation [for Windows XP] has been, at worst, a minor nuisance. Such will be the case with awkwardly named Genuine Microsoft Software program, an anti-piracy initiative that has been voluntary for some time but that, it now appears, will be made mandatory some time in the second half of 2005
It’s not clear to me what the program does on versions of Windows prior to Windows XP, or on copies of it that don’t require activation, such as corporate site licenses, but I know it does run on Windows 2000.
But if you have Internet Explorer’s security set to High or-Heaven forbid! run Firefox or some other “non-standard” browser, you may have some problems. But you’d have all the same problems with Windows Update, so you need to solve them anyway.”
These were not the only eWeek articles to question Microsoft’s WGAP. David Coursey, in his A ‘Genuine’ Pain in the Neck article discussed why he thought the program ask too much of users.
“the ActiveX control asks you to do something the software ought to be able to do on its own. Namely, find and enter the zillion-character Product Key that came with your system or copy of Windows XP. OK, it’s really only 25 characters, but it’s longer and more random than can be easily memorized.
I mention this because I’ve just purchased a brand new Dell desktop, which is about as Genuine Microsoft as a PC gets. But Microsoft still wants me to enter the Product Key just to make someone in Redmond happy that my OS is genuine and Dell isn’t ripping them off. Frankly, that’s between Bill Gates and Michael Dell, and I should not be a party to their relationship.
Especially when doing the Genuine routine does nothing of value for me. And, hey, wasn’t this system already authenticated with Microsoft when I first turned it on? How much more “genuine” can it be? Isn’t passing authentication enough already?”
Does WGAP Cheat Genuine Windows Users?
The InfoWorld blog had an interesting take on the new program as well. The entry looks at how users who have done nothing wrong may be penalized.
“According to Microsoft officials, almost one of every four Windows users in the U.S. and other developed countries is using a non-genuine version. And the majority of those don’t realize it, because the counterfeit copies are often very hard to tell from the real thing. And they will be the ones who Windows Genuine Advantage tags as having ungenuine software, because those who did consciously get a cracked copy of XP probably aren’t going to bother trying to validate their copies.
So we’re not talking about people who were trying to rip off Microsoft. Instead, an awful lot of people who paid their money for Windows in good faith are going to discover that somebody along the line – a distributor, a reseller, an OEM — cheated them. They are just as much victims of the counterfeiters as Microsoft. More actually, because they were in less of a position to defend themselves. Perhaps we should call them Windows’ Genuinely Disadvantaged.”
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.
