So they will get more serious about doing the same thing they have been doing so far which is fundamentally flawed. How is this any better?

Windows XP N: Florida Edition Man, how do you come up with this??

About the damn time. Eric, thank you so much for your efforts!

I think he meant to post this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/mar06/03-09GSIPR.mspx

How about a campaign of handouts to be given to partners with piracy stuff on it? Or an in depth article on how criminals are busted/turned in.

This could go a long way towards helping partners help Microsoft. Right now we really got nothing but a phone number and a non-threatening web site.

Eric,

In my humble opinion the partner enforcement/policing does not work. You have lost the game before you even walked through the door. If a user is bent on breaking the law there is little you can do to reach them. It is Microsofts burden to advertise the consequences of piracy because many professionals do not consider piracy to be wrong – mp3, video or software. They do not see it as theft. Until and unless that changes there is little hope for all the Genuine Advantage in the world, it is all in the realm of wrong perception of what is really theft and what is not.

Vlad,
I poked around a little after seeing this post and found your post from January about Surplus Computers. Well I clicked on the link and lo and behold, they aren’t selling SBS for $170 any more. No, now it is only $140.
??????????
How do we compete with that? Instead of being shut down, three months later they have cut the price even more. And they are not on the list of new lawsuits.

Chuck,

I am still trying to bring it to their attention. It is still (supposedly) being looked into and it is (supposedly) being investigated, and, and, and, and nothing.

I am starting to lose faith in Microsoft ever taking the small-fish piracy in USA.

-Vlad