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re:"....millions if not billions of dollars lost ...."
This statement is a classic case of deliberate disinformation. No "losses" can be incurred if the so-called "pirate" wouldn't buy the product in any case. A home-user/schoolkid can never justify the cost of purchasing Office for using office once or twice a year, especially considering that the same document can be drawn up using wordpad if necessary. Therefore they're not in the market for Office and any so-called "loss" is pure bull.

"Piracy" is actually just a marketing ploy. Microsoft has reached market saturation. Everybody who actually NEEDS office has already bought it, and changing file formats to force existing clients to re-purchase something that they've already paid for, to maintain compatibility, would not be popular with MS's corporate customers. Consequently MS is now using "piracy" as an excuse to strongarm people into buying their product.

Don't get me wrong. If a person is making money by using MS's product, I think its their moral obligation to buy the product. But if you're using Word to submit a "pretty" school assignment 4 times a year, there is no "loss" and MS should write it of as an investment in the user base, because at some stage, that person who is self-training himself to use an MS product may have to make a buying decision for himself or his company... and will probably stick to what he knows eg. Word/Excel.

Of course, the user can migrate to Open-Office (which actually can do everything a normal user requires)... and will be a total loss in sstead of mere marketing hype!
Posted by: Loggies   Posted on: 10/31/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Microsoft gets tough on Office fakers  Loverock Davidson | 10/27/06
Yeah, never mind that it doesn't work correctly.  Zeppo9191 | 10/27/06
And last time I had to be "validated"  zkiwi | 10/27/06
And so the Migration Begins!!!  nucrash | 10/27/06
Doubtful  Loverock Davidson | 10/27/06
Do you pay for your copy of MS Office?  nucrash | 10/27/06
Word  richvball44 | 10/28/06
Where there's a Bay and a Nova,  nix_hed | 03/23/09
Why?  HerbieHightower | 10/27/06
Nothing secret about it.  nomorems | 10/27/06
Re: over $122K since '99  Scrat | 10/28/06
So, what word processor do you use on your Mac?  ajole | 10/30/06
It's no secret that I am a windoze user...  Spikey_Mike | 10/27/06
Well, I'm a Windows User  Leria | 10/30/06
It happens, one enterprise at a time  Too Old For IT | 10/28/06
I wish I thought you were correct.  enduser_z | 10/27/06
All in good time  nucrash | 10/27/06
It's not the job of mainstream media to push OpenOffice  Confused by religion | 10/27/06
They don't hesitate to push Macs...  nucrash | 10/27/06
The only to push a Mac...  Mectron | 10/28/06
Yeah Right!  Ole Man | 10/30/06
Agreed -- the Migration Begins!!!  charlie@... | 10/27/06
Yes and No  DarthRidiculous | 10/27/06
I don't know about open office, but . . .  jlhenry62 | 10/27/06
Help Microsoft succeed?  Shelendrea | 10/27/06
The sky's the limit! (nt)  Zeppo9191 | 10/27/06
How much more successful could they get?  Ole Man | 10/30/06
Microsoft has to do what it has to do to protect...  Spikey_Mike | 10/27/06
Loverock, you are kind of a moron when it comes to social issues...  Stellardyne | 10/28/06
And calling him a moron says what about you???  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/29/06
Yeah...it says I can identify stupidity when I see it... (NT)  Stellardyne | 10/29/06
With Expert Wittnesses, too!  Ole Man | 10/30/06
re:"....millions if not billions of dollars lost ...."  Loggies | 10/31/06
::sniff sniff:: Is that a lawsuit brewing ?!?!  bidemytime | 10/27/06
Well, playing Devil's advocate here...  Zeppo9191 | 10/27/06
No, just sniffing  enduser_z | 10/27/06
State AGs not quite what I had in mind  bidemytime | 10/27/06
File your suit, we all need a good laugh.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/29/06
To file suit, Microsoft would have to catch me  bidemytime | 10/30/06
Very Intelligent Post  Ole Man | 10/30/06
Office Theft  3D0G | 10/27/06
So, at what point does piracy become a problem in your mind?  Confused by religion | 10/27/06
Relative standard of rightness  slingzenarrowzuvowtrayjissforchin | 10/27/06
What I've always found amaziing is . . .  jlhenry62 | 10/27/06
I never said it was OK to steal  3D0G | 10/28/06
Excellent Message  lketchum | 10/28/06
Is piracy really the problem Milly?  Stellardyne | 10/29/06
If they lost 1 cent to theft, it's too much.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/29/06
Really No_Ax? Is that how it works?  Stellardyne | 10/29/06
Ranting about Windows in an Office article?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/29/06
Well, it is safe to assume it has the same technology behind it  Stellardyne | 10/29/06
Oh, and one more thing...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/29/06
As always you can't read through your obstructed views  Stellardyne | 10/29/06
You're both right!  SherryCan | 10/31/06
you refuse to institute an anti-piracy program?  Ole Man | 10/30/06
So, at what point does profit become plain theft....  Loggies | 10/31/06
Influence Pedling Abramoff Style  mighetto | 10/27/06
7.5  enduser_z | 10/27/06
Cmon, man! I can't believe you forgot...  techboy_z | 10/27/06
Do you have something against international democracy?  enduser_z | 10/27/06
Big Pharma  Jack-Booted EULA | 10/27/06
Whoops!  Jack-Booted EULA | 10/27/06
6.5  KTLA | 10/27/06
Hey - its working Preston Gates and Ellis is disbanding  mighetto | 10/27/06
3.0  KTLA | 10/28/06
Any corporation caught with illegal copies . . .  jlhenry62 | 10/27/06
Well stated!  SherryCan | 10/31/06
You don't have to use M$ Office  pmajon | 10/27/06
"only difference"  KTLA | 10/29/06
You're right Open Office Wins!  hoozafrizitz | 10/30/06
I'm tired of your tirades  Linux Geek | 10/27/06
"I'm tired of your tirades" LOL  zmud | 10/27/06
You have no life.  Grayson Peddie | 10/29/06
Get a life  Dave_Friedel | 10/30/06
It's only news because it's Microsoft  carmilevy@... | 10/27/06
No need to steal!  Kobashrer | 10/27/06
Problem is...  techboy_z | 10/27/06
This is what I don't understand about ABMers  NonZealot | 10/27/06
Something we can agree on.  enduser_z | 10/27/06
Anyone whois a pirate  mikeholli | 10/28/06
Well, let's hope  DarbyOhara | 10/29/06
Anyone whois a pirate  mikeholli | 10/28/06
I Don't Know What Microsoft You're So Cozy With  Cardhu | 11/11/06
Anyone whois a pirate  mikeholli | 10/28/06
The pirates ye have always.  Hugh G. Rection | 10/28/06
Happy Birthday Bill Gates!  Loverock Davidson | 10/28/06
Very appropriate  Hugh G. Rection | 10/28/06
Scorpio eh? Figures, a...  Linux_Fanboy | 10/28/06
The great OGA advantages  owidder | 10/29/06
Sad stuff  mlf1970 | 10/29/06
Sad that scum steal? Yeah, your right.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/29/06
Blah blah blah  mobrien_12@... | 10/29/06
Theft by any other name.  Kobashrer | 10/29/06
Microsoft Digs In and Cuts its own throat in the process  Evisscerator | 10/30/06
Not exactly..  ITCowboy | 11/07/06
I doubt that Ramon would agree  Cardhu | 11/07/06
Microsoft Digs In and Cuts its own throat in the process  Evisscerator | 10/30/06
Does this affect anyone that's either not a business or stupid?  superbus | 10/30/06
Not the point  ITCowboy | 11/07/06
Not enough information to decide  jdubow@... | 10/30/06
piracy  cesproles@... | 10/30/06
um how come microsoft gets to scan my computer, willy nilly.  roddic | 10/30/06
Ummm No..  ITCowboy | 11/07/06
If it bothers you..  Gregory.J.Bradley@... | 10/30/06
same-old same-old  dlandrum@... | 10/31/06
Just one thing  ITCowboy | 11/07/06
Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed  Cardhu | 11/07/06
Who Cares???????  baylors | 10/31/06
I just read something I don't believe!  marty_mathieson@... | 10/31/06
well..  ITCowboy | 11/07/06
**** microsoft & all of USA Kapitalism!!!  DonYan | 11/02/06
Talk About Rabid Stereotyping ....  Cardhu | 11/03/06

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