SW piracy cannot be tackled the MS way

The biggest issue troubling the channel community today is the issue of software piracy. All of them are running scared
these days because of what they call "fraudulent" methods adopted by
Microsoft to catch pirates. It seems that things are being done in a rather
underhand way and not upfront, which should have been the norm.

Six issues back, in this very column, I had mentioned that software piracy
cannot be tackled in the way Microsoft is going about. Rather than going after
the actual pirates who sell Windows XP CDs at seventy rupees in Nehru Place, the
software major is going about ensnaring some of the most prominent and respected
channel partners.

Interestingly, it has still not been able to catch any prominent partner
pirating its software. As a result, the company is getting into desperate
situations and using all kinds of underhand means to trap the hapless channel
partners. For instance, just last week it claimed to have bought pirated
software from one of the leading channel partners of Nehru Place, who
incidentally also happens to be Microsoft's authorized partner.

As Microsoft failed to get anything from there, it caught hold of the
partner's storekeeper and asked him for pirated software. He said he had none.
They told him that it is available with such and such person. That person sold
the pirated CD to him at Rs 4,300. The storekeeper in turn sold the same CD to
Microsoft's undercover team for Rs 4,500, making Rs 200 in the bargain. No
bills were raised. Still, Microsoft went to town saying that this channel
partner is a pirate.

Something similar happened to two more prominent channel partners over the
last two months. And all three of them rightly point out that they have done
nothing wrong and are determined to fight out the company in the court. The
story is almost the same in other towns of the country.

Now, the question arises, why is Microsoft using such means to entrap
channels? Rather than checking software piracy, these methods are going to yield
absolutely nothing. In addition, the opposition from the channel community will
become even higher.

Microsoft needs to urgently realize the fact that it is in their benefit to
work together with this community, rather than adopt devious methods to catch
the goose which lays the golden eggs. After all, it would be extremely difficult
for any vendor to succeed in the market if it alienates the channel. Microsoft
needs to wake up from its slumber-fast.

Asim Raina