JCDA, MS together fight piracy

New Delhi

March 3rd, 2008

Microsoft's attempts to curb piracy business, has been taken seriously by the
IT associations across India. Recently, Jalandhar Computer Dealer's Association
(JDCA) held a meeting with the software giant to discuss piracy issues and get
support from the company for combating it.

Rajiv Khanna, President, JDCA shared that the association had invited
Microsoft officials for talks on the matter in order to be able to educate the
customers about the drawbacks of using pirated software. According to him, this
would help in educating the end-users about the usefulness of original products.
"Our main agenda was to protect the dealers from further raids. We also
wanted end-customers to know their responsibility in combating piracy. Microsoft
has assured that they would provide us support through educational programs,
provided that dealers do not indulge in piracy business," informed Khanna.

During the meet, dealers in Jalandhar raised the issue of high prices of MS
OS. "The members of the association suggested that Microsoft should join
hands with the chip makers like Intel or AMD so that their OS is clubbed with
processor and hence, the scope of piracy is reduced," stated Khanna.

For the last one year, Microsoft has been using varied approaches to curb piracy
in the market and has been educating dealers about the importance of dealing in
original software business.

According to Brian Campbell, Director-Genuine Software Initiative, Microsoft
Corporation (India), the company is working closely with the channel
associations so that a strong message to stop software piracy is conveyed in the
market.

A month back, Association of Computer Entrepreneurs, an IT association in
Ludhiana, had also held a meeting with Microsoft to get support from the
software giants to strengthen channel for creating awareness about buying
genuine OS in the market.

Microsoft had also held a meeting in January this year with Indore-based MP
IT and Telecom Association (MPTCTA) to make a joint effort to stop piracy in the
market after which the company had agreed not to raid any of the dealers in the
market for the next three months