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PR03586 16 February 2006
Microsoft Launches Keep IT Real to Combat Software Piracy in the UK
Reading - UK - 16 February 2006 - Microsoft today announces the launch of Keep IT Real, a UK initiative to combat software piracy in the course of 2006. The initiative will play a substantial role in Microsoft realising its three-year goal, also announced today, of reducing the UK piracy level for Microsoft Windows by 5% to 11.7%.
Keep IT Real comprises a number of activities taking place across the UK, which include regional educational tours, joint work with online retail and auction sites, an increased commitment to legal enforcements, Windows Genuine Advantage and Feet on the Street (a nationwide investigation into vendors of illegal Microsoft software). Each activity is detailed below.
Michala Alexander, Microsoft's UK head of anti-piracy, said: "Resolving the problem of software piracy would be immensely beneficial to the UK economy. Keep IT Real will help us to address the problem in a number of ways. By educating customers on how to purchase legitimate software, we can protect them from the risks associated with piracy. And by closing down channels for the sale of pirate software, we can reduce the impact of illegal trade on Microsoft's UK partners."
She continued: "Reducing levels of Windows piracy by 5% will help generate substantial extra revenue for Microsoft's 30,000 UK partners and their local economies. We are looking into how we put in place measures to halt software piracy across other Microsoft products."
Feet on the Street
In the next six months two teams of investigators will make 800 visits across the UK to technology vendors suspected of hard-disk loading or other forms of piracy.
Hard-disk loading is a practice where unscrupulous PC vendors charge multiple customers for copies of the software pre-installed on PCs, but provide a license agreement valid for only one copy. Investigations into hard-disk loading stem from customer complaints received by Microsoft.
Based on the findings of the Feet on the Street teams Microsoft will consider the most appropriate course of action for each case, which could include prosecution.
Michala Alexander said: "A small number of IT vendors are at the moment putting customers at risk of unwittingly running illegal software. The work of the Feet on the Street teams will make clear to these vendors that Microsoft will not tolerate illegal copies of its software being sold."
Regional educational tour
Using internal research Microsoft has identified a number of UK cities with a significantly higher piracy rate than average. Over the next year Microsoft will visit these cities and educate local partners, businesses and consumers on the identification of, and risks associated with, counterfeit software. The tour will also inform the local community about the rights granted by licensing agreements for using Microsoft software. The tours will comprise a number of different elements:
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Plans are already in place for the regional tour to visit Manchester, Huddersfield and Nottingham with more cities to follow.
Windows Genuine Advantage
In July 2005 Microsoft announced the availability of Windows Genuine Advantage 1.0, a tool to provide customers having purchased Microsoft Windows XP with the peace of mind that their software is authentic and possesses the full functionality expected.
Since its launch, 7.1 million UK customers have gone through the WGA validation process with 1.1 million people (16.7%) discovering their copy of Windows to be illegal.
Increased commitment to legal enforcements
To address the full scale of the piracy problem in the UK, Microsoft will increase its commitment to pursuing legal actions against organisations and individuals suspected of piracy.
Microsoft this week announced the initial results of its clampdown on the sale of counterfeit software in the Glasgow area. In projects spanning three years investigations were conducted into twelve companies, resulting in court proceedings and payments of up to GBP75,000 each to Microsoft.
Joint work with auction and retail websites
Since Microsoft began working with eBay in August 2005 under its VeRO programme, the online auction site has removed over 35,000 suspected illegal sales items.
Microsoft is currently in discussions on illegal software trade with a number of online auction and retail websites.
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