- More than 73 percent of Microsoft's software deployed in India is
pirated - Recently, eight resellers in Chandigarh were fined upto Rs one
lakh for piracy
With an aim to ease the pressure on consumers while buying costly software,
global software major Microsoft has introduced a deferred licensing program 'Open
Value' covering all its products for small and mid-market customers.
This program is also likely to provide a much-needed boost in order to thwart
software piracy activity within the Indian region as well. This licensing
program enables a customer to pay for any Microsoft product they purchase over a
period of three years.
"This is a significant change in our license policy in this region to
make our software affordable and accessible. The licensing will cover small and
mid-market products and hence it will help us to counter piracy," said,
Neelam Dhawan, MD, Microsoft India.
According to industry estimates, more than 73 percent of Microsoft's
software deployed in India is pirated, so introducing liberal licensing policies
such as this would certainly push people to buy the original copies of software.
"Through this licensing program we are trying to reduce the piracy levels
and encourage the consumers as well as the reseller community to go for the
original versions," informed, Rajeev Mittal, Group Director, Small and
Medium Solutions and Partners, Microsoft.
There are many resellers and VARs that have been engaged in uploading
unlicensed software onto hard drives, and/or sold counterfeit software without
providing each individual customer with the proper license, media, or
accompanying manual or documentation.
According to market sources close to Chandigarh channel community, as many as
eight resellers have been issued fine of upto Rs one lakh after pirated
Microsoft software was found. With Microsoft fine-tuning its aggressiveness to
combat piracy-organizations like BSA and NASSCOM are confidant of curbing
piracy rates in India.
According to the reseller community, Microsoft does inform the suspected
software pirates to cease software piracy and issue various notifications from
time to time. "They usually do this. They have the databases so they know
whom to contact and how to do it. Before these kinds of operations, each
suspected VAR was issued a letter notifying them that they were under suspicion
and that they should not indulge in software piracy." informed, a
Chandigarh-based reseller on conditions of anonymity.
DQW News Bureau
New Delhi