MS isn't as decent as you think - they do have a record for stealing!!!

[safeguy]

I'm a Windows user. I'm not anti-MS. But it pains me to see that sometimes there are others who comment on pirates that so-call 'steal' MS products...some of them look upon these pirates as nothing but a disgrace and kind of a scum. While it's generally not an acceptable practice (and illegal too), it's the sarcasm and disrespect by these same commenters that piss me off. Why? Simply because of the irony - these same MS fanboys are probably not aware that their beloved and respected company has a good record of being thieves themselves...

Here's a few examples (there's more but as long as you get the idea):

Microsoft Admits to Piracy, Walks Free
Plurk: Microsoft went to great lengths to steal code
Microsoft loses second appeal in Word patent case
Microsoft lifts GPL code, uses in Microsoft Store tool

Wikipedia says it best:

Anti-competitive

Since the 1980s, Microsoft has been the focus of much controversy in the computer industry.[101] The majority of criticism has been for its business tactics, often described with the motto "embrace, extend and extinguish." Microsoft initially embraces a competing standard or product, then extends it to produce their own version which is then incompatible with the standard, which in time extinguishes competition that does not or cannot use Microsoft's new version.[102]

Microsoft also actively manipulates standards bodies to create standards that Microsoft effectively controls, regardless of technical or market suitability.[103] These and other tactics have resulted in lawsuits brought by companies and governments, and billions of dollars in rulings against Microsoft.[104][14][46]

David Meyer writing on Zdnet.com pointed out that, "Microsoft has a long history of applying for, and being granted patents for, inventions that many argue—and can sometimes demonstrate—were based on earlier work carried out by others, or based on a common, self-evident idea."[105] This was in response to its 2008 patent application for the ability to progress in page-up or page-down increments with a single keystroke — a method that has been pervasive for decades.[106]

The point of this thread is NOT to justify the pirates actions but rather to make it fair and square for everyone. Why are these commenters so harsh upon pirates but not upon MS themselves? Why the double standard? If you are really against piracy, then let me tell you this: for goodness sake, stop using MS software - be it Windows or MS Office.

All I'm saying is whenever you see a MS software pirate next time on the web, chill out and ignore the person. Don't be such a hypocrite trying to defend MS or the copyright industry or whatever you want to call it. After all, these pirates are the ones that are risking their necks and lives...it doesn't concern you. Be the good guy and pay for your software. Just don't nag others to do the same thing too...or at least be polite when you do so. Human beings do take advise when it's given to them in a friendly manner. No one likes a dictator or a bossy person who pushes others around...unless that is you are one yourself.

And yes, before any one of you sensitive "legal" guys come bashing me for saying all these, why not take a look here itself:

Microsoft Wants You to Pirate Windows

I rest my case your honor.

[noaccount]

The majority of criticism has been for its business tactics, often described with the motto "embrace, extend and extinguish."

hmm why am i thinking of oracle, adobe, autodesk... n probably big blue or apple, if i knew a little more about it... not to mention other industries... think on energy or communications lol

[hellnoire]

Microsoft was the one that started it all, by buying DOS and passing it off as their own OS.

(I say as I write from my Windows 7 OS...)

[grr]

Piracy is caz of MS themselves. Who would afford paying a price for an OS, when u could get a complete laptop in the same price. In this competitive world the only way to sell and increase reach of ur products is to make it cheap or free. See example of Google...

I'm not supporting piracy, but pirates do not have the code to hack the windows OS, what they do is also justified that if u buy a Toyota, u could put/use non-Toyota recommended stuff in it..* Toyota never calls it piracy - so why does MS...

U release an OS--good - have a better protection to prevent piracy, or stop shouting..

[sreeparna]

Wow I am shocked .
I didnt know about these.MS reputation is these bad!
But i dont understand why do they encourage to pirate their own softwares?If people can get something for free will they ever gonna buy it?It's vey unlikely.So how will that help MS for their business !

[johnshaw1917]

I think piracy by both corporations and individuals is morally wrong, and I don't do it myself, but I'm not going to bash those that do. I'm not going to change their minds, so there just doesn't seem to be any point to it.

[kavinraja]

Wow I am shocked .
I didnt know about these.MS reputation is these bad!
But i dont understand why do they encourage to pirate their own softwares?If people can get something for free will they ever gonna buy it?It's vey unlikely.So how will that help MS for their business !

I remember Gates saying this...
"If people want to pirate an OS, let it be windows, since they would get more and more addicted to it and one day we will bring out a way to have it uncrackable".

Lol. But i am damn sure, they would never succeed in it.

[sujay]

I think mods should merge the other thread with this...

Pirated Windows 7 Will Still Get Updates


An example that microsoft supports piracy....

[Rush]

Good read Safeguy, as usual.
Theft is wrong. There are very few exceptions to that and I don't see anyone starving. Either the guy with the cracked OS, watching the downloaded r5 and eating his roommate's twinkie's or the fat-cat corporate giant who thinks of himself as "a real go getter" as he turns in the programmer's code that he just fired. If it is not rightfully yours, you don't take it. It is THEFT.
However, the hypocrisy is not what really gets under my skin. Nor the self-righteous or their not so shiny counterparts. It's all the dramatics and how while we debate the impact of the right hand blow, we miss the incoming left.
(I've been on this next rant before, so for those that have heard it, I apologize in advance)

If I walk into a store and slip the latest DVD release under my jacket and attempt to slip out without paying for it, am I a pirate? I would suspect a shoplifter is more accurate. Not until I go straight Vin Diesel and knock over the entire tractor trailer load should the term "pirate" even be considered. Pirates did not historically copy things. Those were scribes. Pirates raped, plundered, murdered and took by force what they stole. Pirate is just a term coined by the big-money because it sounds more foreboding in court (both in one of law and that of public opinion)(admit it, it would be very hard to sit on a jury and find someone a danger to society that was accused of being a...scribe). While I do cheer the irony that big-money now see's that term thrown in their faces, I am not so naive as to believe it will stick to them. Worst case scenario, "Unsanctioned copyright infringement" is the worst that they'll be labeled. Labels like that are not intended to stick to big-money. They are meant to crush no-money (Hey... Thats me! Hi mom!) (Oh yeah, my bad, it's you too. Say hi.)


The list of those who would call M$ "thief" is a long and distinguished one. However it saddens me to see us all (even me) get blindsided by the terminology.

Pirate? A true Vin Diesel Microsoft is not. More like a Winona Ryder. For myself (and admittedly I have woken up many a night in the gutters from uTorrent all the way back to being a young bum strung out on Morpheus and sleeping on the corner of eBoulevard) I find the label both harsh and offensive.

I was more of a down on my luck "pick-packet".

[JayCub]

Thanks for the read Safe Guy and Rush you made my day,
all in all Microsoft has given me the ability to browse the world from my living room and making it easy to do so, as my first pc was xp and i first thought boot the pc meant give it a kick to start it.. so im now spoilt with windows and grateful for microsofts advances. i wonder just how much software other vendors give a clean GUI and re brand and and sell for large profits... i don't condone piracy but i have bought my share of bad apps in the past and found some reviews really bias
and i know windows works for me

If you haven't seen the film pirates of silicon valley it's well worth the watch..