Genuine Microsoft software is published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner.
By using genuine Microsoft software, you can be confident that your software is legitimate and fully supported by Microsoft. Learn more about how Microsoft is working to protect consumers against counterfeit and pirated software below.
The Business Software Alliance reported that, in 2004, an incredible thirty-five percent of software used worldwide was unlicensed, pirated, or counterfeit. Additionally, many users of counterfeit and unlicensed software are not aware that their software is not genuine. The negative impact of software piracy is not limited to these consumers, who spend millions each year on software. It also has a negative impact on local and regional economies, as well as the global economy. A recent report from the market research firm IDC found that, if the global software piracy rate was lowered just 10 percentage points over the next 4 years, this would contribute a total of 2.4 million new jobs and $400 billion in economic growth to the global economy. For more information about how software piracy affects communities and nations, see market research firm IDC’s 2005 IDC Economic Impact Study report on the economic effects of software piracy.
Microsoft supports efforts that aim to strengthen local, national, and global economies and to provide customers with software that helps them realize their full potential.
Microsoft works to protect customers and encourage a healthy software ecosystem through the Microsoft Genuine Software Initiative.
The Genuine Software Initiative (GSI) focuses the company’s many activities and investments directed at combating software counterfeiting and other forms of software piracy into a single initiative. The initiative will focus increasing investments across three strategic areas: Education, Engineering, and Enforcement.
Key to protecting consumers and reducing software piracy are educational efforts. The best way to protect consumers is to raise their awareness of the issue, equip them to spot counterfeit software, and help them understand what they should do about it.
As part of the overall effort to raise awareness, Microsoft is working with industry partners to make consumers aware of the increasing risks associated with acquiring and installing counterfeit software. While the internet facilitates commerce, it has also been adopted by software pirates as a new vehicle for peddling their illegal wares. The possibility of being infected by spyware or other malware, such as viruses, or receiving incomplete code increases when consumers are sold counterfeit software over the internet. Microsoft has also seen instances of credit card theft by selling software online that later turned out to be counterfeit.
In addition to exposing users to critical issues, like identity theft during the acquisition of the illegal software, installing and using counterfeit software can prevent customers from obtaining some updates and premium add-ons. For example, counterfeit copies of Microsoft Windows XP will not be able to download important updates or premium add-ons such as newer versions of Windows Media Player or Internet Explorer. Access to these product add-ons is offered to users of genuine Microsoft Windows products through a validation process. As part of the Genuine Software Initiative, Microsoft is encouraging customers to use the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tools and the other information resources available on http://www.microsoft.com/genuine to make sure they have genuine software.
The Genuine Software Initiative includes increased investments in three key areas:
Microsoft wants customers to understand that unlicensed and pirated software threatens not only the entire software industry, but also other industries that create products built on intellectual property. Most importantly, Microsoft wants customers to realize the benefits of genuine software.
By educating customers about anti-piracy, working with partners around the world to improve enforcement, and investing in technology to make it easier to identify and protect against counterfeit software, Microsoft can better ensure that users and businesses will fully enjoy the benefits of using quality, supported software.
For information on How to Tell if you are running genuine Microsoft software, visit www.howtotell.com, where you can:
To learn how to better manage your business’s software licenses, read about Software Asset Management.
