Microsoft Accused of Hacking Attack
From China.org.cn:
An angry Chinese lawyer accused Microsoft of perpetrating the biggest ever hacker attack in response to the software giant’s controversial move to trigger hourly screen blackouts on computers using pirated copies of Windows XP.
On October 20, Dong Zhengwei, a lawyer of Beijing Zhongyin Law Office, sent a complaint to China’s Ministry of Public Security, accusing Microsoft of invading personal computers without user permission or judicial authorization, the Beijing Times reported.
Dong said the judiciary should assign criminal responsibility for the Windows Genuine Advantage Program so called “Black Screen” scheme and halt this “illegal move”.
Origin: Ma Yujia, Pang Li & Keen Zhang, China.org.cn
POSTED COMMENTS: 4 Responses
Let’s see…
Force pre-loaded Windows Vista
Insure no DirectX 10 support for XP
Now comes anti-piracy against XP
And guess what Windows 7, is soon to replace Vista…
So where does that leave paying customers?
Just more in debt having to replace both their hardware and software!
And that’s called progress?
Better security?
I’m never going to support this vaporware! It’s time to get behind FREE open source code, once and for all.
I doubt this lawyer has much of a case. I am sure the End Use License Agreement allows Microsoft to do anything it wants. Once you click on “I agree”, you’re in.
I disagree with the move to force-feed Vista, but Microsoft is well within its rights to fight piracy.
Microsoft has a right to protect its property from thieves.
Why do so many Chinese insist on stealing Windows when Linux is available free to anyone who wants it?
Realist, piracy is not on, but MS is not an entirely innocent victim here, either. Their product is overblown and overpriced everywhere. Their business strategy in China can be likened to what a drug pusher would do: Get them addicted on freebies, then squeeze them dry. Remember Bill Gates saying somewhere that if the Chinese had to pirate, he preferred them to pirate MS?