Timely…

Maybe next they’ll go after SurplusDirect that has been selling SBS for $150 for the past year or so since we brought it up in our Orlando SBS group.

About the friggin time!

Maybe next they’ll actually start checking things like oh I don’t know - THE COMPANYS FN WEBSITE THAT SHOWS THEY ARE A DOCTOR! - so Microsoft doesn’t sell the action pack to people outside of the partner program.

I’m sorry but this is bullshit.

What have they done? They will still sell MAPS to people, no questions asked. They’ll bring in even more money without fixing the problem. They will keep on allowing anything and anyone in the partner program.

This is just a ploy to look like they are doing something while not doing anything to crack down on the actual problem of Microsoft not taking piracy seriously.

Something from my Orlando group by Fred Barra:

— snip —

In my opinion, they should just cancel the pack. Instead give the partners a discount on genuine licenses. I would welcome that more because I use only a small percentage of what’s in the pack to begin with. If was to need their other high end software, then it would mean my business is at a completely different level and when you are making a lot of money then nothing like that is problem anymore. In other words, I would want to pay as high as possible for the tools if they were really responsible for helping me/taking me/keeping me at that level.

Plus pirates have a different system, such as hacked corporate versions and etc. and they do not have to do validation or activation. In short, some of the problems with their own system is annoying not the pirates but their genuine customers.

Also for future generations, the current system might not work. I say only because if there some type of catastrophe such as loss of power or other major event we would be shielded and not be able to use the current open channels we call the internet. At that point, Microsoft software in its present format would be useless. So in my opinion this is not the future, just a temporary solution for problematic situation. If ms ignores or doesn’t concentrate on a better solution, with time they too(as large and powerful as they might be) will be doomed for failure. Remember history repeats itself.

Bill Gates is right up there as one of the most caring(and smart) individuals on earth (to me). Proof of that is what he’s doing with his separate venture he announced last year? Once other corporations come around to realizing that together they have the power to solve the big world problems (it’s certainly not the Vatican or the world governments) we will then be a better place for future generations.

If we cannot achieve that, then I’m afraid that this might become an ugly world. In other words, everyone should support Microsoft (and other companies making similar efforts). For example Computer Associates donates to charity orgs, and other good causes. Too bad more people and corporations aren’t seeing the real problem.

I just happened to have used that CD last week, and when it does not find the previous OS, you can still insert ANY windows cd (NT, 98, 2000, XP) and get right to the full install.

Instead of pulling products from the ACTION PACK, I would like to see Microsoft implement a program that actually verifies the partner.

a MONKEY could sign up for registered partner, and order ACTION PACK the next day, and have it within a week.

Where is the verification process?

Let’s all be a little realistic as well here. The fact that MS did ANYTHING AT ALL based on user feedback is a pretty good sign. As most of you know, it takes a move from God to change course in most major corporations so maybe this should be taken as a sign of things to come.

Software piracy (piracy in general) is a joke in the US economy. It happens in virtually EVERY business in one form or another and until the court systems start nailing the guilty parties with huge fines at least 10 times the value of the stolen software, it’s going to continue to grow wildly. How many of you readers that are screaming for MS’s help have pirated MP3s or 30 day shareware software you’ve been using for years on your hard drive? If you raised your hand, you too are one of those nasty pirates. Aye matey - me too.

As for setting up a partner verification process, how do propose it be done? Who’s going to foot the bill? I am not a Small Business guy so I don’t know the answer, but I do know that Microsoft’s other verification processes haven’t worked too well so far. How many complete idiots have you met that are MS certified whackos? (I mean, for those of you who really know Vlad…j/k)

Everything always comes down to the bottom line and in this case, Microsoft was getting paid from people who most likely aren’t willing to buy the freakin software any other way and were probably stealing it until now so how motivated do you think they are to shut down that revenue stream? I’m sure there are exceptions where legitimate customers got screwed, but from MS’s standpoint at least they’re getting some money from the illegal use of their software instead of being left out in the cold completely.

Before you start yelling that I am an idiot, I understand that this logic is WRONG in normal business practice, but it does seem to make a little sense in the reality of this situation.

btw - is it just me or is it a coincidence that this falls on Talk Like a Pirate Day?

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

I think not.

I was just thinking that Rich!

Arrrrgggg… Where’s my action pack!?

Good job Microsoft! I know its hard to please everyone but you’ve got to start somewhere and I want you guys that read Vlad’s blog to at least know it is appreciated.

I agree that something should be done, but changing XP from the full to the upgrade version is not the best option. I’m sure that many of us have test labs and use these licenses there as well.

I think the better option would be to track which license keys are given to which partners. When you find one of those licenses out in the wild, investigate the partner! That would definitely put a dent on piracy and help all of MS’ partners!

As for the other comments that bring up the point that MS should be checking companies that sign up for the action pack, I agree! I don’t think MS has the resources to do a check on every company that registers as a partner, but when a company buys the action pack, they should at least do a cursory check to ensure the company is really IT oriented and not a doctor’s office or some industrial factory, etc.

I agree.

Many partner programs with at least check your website and ask for a copy of your sales tax license to make sure you are in the IT business before they will give you a reseller’s discount on their product.

Why Microsoft does not do this is unfantomable. ARRRGGGH!

-Ken

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy being the official spokesman for “Microsoft isn’t doing enough about Central Florida piracy” movement.

Give them a little credit guys.

-Vlad

Ken,

I hate to be one of those jerks from Oregon, but we don’t have a sales tax, nor a license to collect it.

How does this sound for a solution? Make the MAPS subscription contingent on you having a SBSC or other Certification? Even as writing this down, I can see bad things about this, but what else can be done?

Here are ideas I have thought about:
1. The open source movement has gotten people to legitimately think about free software. (Yes, I remember getting the Byte magazine with the viking ship on there with the floppy disk as the sail, talking about piracy, circa 1979…This is not new.) People generally will pay for what they use, but they don’t want to feel like idiot paying $1500 for an airline seat, sitting next to the guy that paid $299 on Priceline.

2. People want to “stick it to the man.” How many times have you heard that Bill Gates has enough money, and he can handle it? OK, on a world perspective, we (in the US) have enough money, so it is OK that people steal from us? That is the “when is stealing OK” question. See (pre 2003) Napster, Warez, Kazaa, etc. for that perspective.

3. With no punishment, there is no law. Unless the owners of copyrights call on authorities to enforce the law, then there is, by their inaction, no law. If anything, MS needs to look at the “family pack” concept of licensing, which lets up to 5 computers in the same house be loaded with OS software for $199. The Office License (for the most part, for personal use) let you do 3 computers, but it is not really advertised out there.

4. MS really needs to simplify licensing. Make a Visio flow chart or something. Are you a home user? Yes; this is what is available for you. Are you a student of a university? Yes; this is for you, but not for use in a business of any sort. Are you a legitimate MS Partner? Yes; this is what is available for you.

5. Make piracy more difficult. The movie industry thought that selling VCR tapes for $20 would kill them (back in 1982, when the Hollywood studios released movies on tape, they were $80 - $120 a pop. Blockbuster thanked them for that…). Now, they give us more value for the $20 DVD, that it makes more sense to get a really nice TV and a DVD player, and watch movies at home (plus, taking my 5 kids to the movies is prohibitively expensive…)

Man, even writing this is confusing… Anyway, I hope what I have said makes some sense, and thank you for reading it.

Also, thanks, Vlad, for all you do for the community.

Jeff

[...] If there is one thing.. one thing.. I despise about Microsoft’s webcasts its the inability to hold back on adding meaningless numbers to show “the opportunity” – Wow, I can miss out on that many billions worth of sales! So I use my opportunity to do something worth-while with my time, like check who is on the attendee list and catch up with them over MSN Messenger. I know they are just as bored as I am, “So how big of a piece of the $5.5 billion dollar market are you going to get?” is a great ice breaker and we move on. Yesterday we had a few people in a chat room going back and forth over what was being discussed, sharing opinions, ideas, etc. It was a truely international crowd and the conversation eventually went to the recent changes in the MAPS. We don’t (and can’t) subscibe to MAPS so I’m happy to see Microsoft restricting this easy gateway to piracy. However, registered partners who rely on MAPS to have legitimate licensing and ability to test and deploy Microsoft software feel quite differently. So here are the two problems with restricting MAPS: [...]