Microsoft Copy Protection: Is This Fair ?!? | Related Links
It
is not unusual in the press to see references to Microsoft’s often maligned
Windows and Office copy protection scheme. This is the system by which
Microsoft Software products have to be registered online; and are locked to one
particular computer. For example, if Windows XP is loaded on your desk top
gaming PC, it has to be registered on line within 30 days, or the computer
becomes inoperable. Once the software is locked to one particular PC, while it
can be loaded on another a PC (perhaps your old note book computer from college).
However, you will not be able to lock the software to the notebook PC, and it
will become unusable in 30 days. One can assume the only way to avoid this is
to do a clean install with the old operating system, or to rush out and buy a
new copy of Windows XP.
Now why did Microsoft start this process? Well it would be intellectually dishonest to not recognize the fact that people have been stealing from Microsoft since the days of DOS. The earliest time that I recall someone copying software was in the early 90’s when I was in undergraduate school. It was not uncommon for students to trade copies of Word Perfect 5.1, MS DOS, Windows 3.1, and even Office 95 on floppy disks. I have heard people freely tell friends that they had a copy of virtually every Microsoft software product available, but have never purchased any of them. Quite simply, every package they possessed was an illegal copy.
But is all copying wrong? Do customers deserve or have a right to freely copy software? The federal government does allow individuals to keep back up copies of software. Unfortunately, this is a law that has been used for some people to buy and sell “backup” copies of software over the internet that they have never bought. What is even more surprising, these same individuals are now have good jobs and salaries – and still copy new Microsoft software products shortly after they are released. This is in spite of the ‘more than reasonable’ copy protection systems Microsoft has in place.
Well what about Office XP? Microsoft recognized that the one copy per PC requirement is not suitable for every product. Therefore, it allows purchasers to load Microsoft Office XP on any two computers. However, this was not the case with the original OEM version. After complaints, the one copy / one PC restriction on the OEM version of Microsoft Office XP was relaxed. In other words, the copy of Office XP that came with your new PC can be freely loaded on any other PC you own. In addition, unlike most gaming software and applications; Office XP and Windows XP can be easily copied (burned) to CDRs for backup purposes. However, the copy is still limited to the same one or two PCs per license requirement that the original disk is.
If one’s livelihood depended on Microsoft, or let’s say one's IRA and 401k, would it be fair for others to endlessly copy and use each Microsoft product as it is released. People are free to choose what software products they purchase and use. Likewise, it is ludicrous to criticize Microsoft for taking reasonable steps to protect their inventions and efforts from being copied and passed around endlessly.
While this article is not a condemnation of those who do copy and download software, it is written in support of Microsoft's efforts to control copying of their software products. If you have an opinion about this issue, send it to us. We will post the best responses on both sides of the issue.
Copyright 2003; SlySkunk