Pirating Software? Choose Microsoft!

An anonymous reader writes "ArsTechnica is running a story regarding comments by Microsoft Business Group President Jeff Raikes, who had a pithy comment on the subject of software piracy. His view is that, should software piracy occur, Microsoft's desire is that the pirated software should be theirs. Potentially, in the future, they could then convert the illegal users from the 'dark side' into legit users who obtain licenses. 'We understand that in the long run the fundamental asset is the installed base of people who are using our products. What you hope to do over time is convert them to licensing the software.' Obviously Microsoft prefers the market to use their software even if it's pirated, rather than the alternative: the use of free software."

Nothing new

[dosius]

Apart from it now being about keeping people off gnuware there's nothing new about this, they were saying what, 10, 15 years ago?, that they didn't really mind the rampant piracy of their software because it would get people hooked and they'd come back and buy legit. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

-uso.

Re:Hmm... fairly obvious I'd say

[morgan_greywolf]

Not only is not news, it hasn't been news for a long time. Here's what Bill Gates said in 1998 about software piracy [com.com] (about 9 years ago):

"Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." -- Bill Gates at University of Washington "town hall" meeting in 1998

So, no, despite what TFA says, it is not the case that Raikes' words "do not appear to echo the sentiments of his company..."

Re:Validation?

[hackstraw]

They think its better for us to try out their products, see if we like them and buy later, rather than using their competitors' software. Feel free to correct my logic if I'm reading this wrong.

Microsoft doesn't really make any money off of Windows via off the shelf retail editions. They make money off of taxing OEMs by shipping their OS with new boxes regardless if you want or need a license, they get paid. They then make money off of site licenses where its common for the box to come with a license and then the site pays a separate license.

Re:Death to pirates!

[Hal_Porter]

However, with no offense intended, please don't give me Gimp when I ask for Photoshop.

Serif Photo Plus [freeserifsoftware.com] is free as in beer, and it does 80% of what Photoshop does.