Action plan
As the biggest software company in the world, it's no surprise that Microsoft is also one of the most pro-active when it comes to confronting software piracy.
In the UK alone, it has had a team in place, headed-up by Michala Wardell, for years, with the sole aim of tracking down people and companies who sell counterfeit Microsoft software and persuading them what a good idea it would be if they stopped.
The latest surge in activity from Microsoft in this area comes in the form of ‘Consumer Action Day', which seems to be a combination of educational programmes and litigation into some kind of stick and carrot, US army style surge of activity.
"The important thing to remember is that while some people think of counterfeit as being an exact copy, it often isn't at all," said Wardell. "Malware and other dangerous codes are often present, operating in the background unknown to the users but increasing risk significantly. And when added with malicious intent, consumers face an even greater threat."
Among the bullet-points Microsoft is thrusting at the world as part of this initiative are the 600 percent increase (time parameter not given) in the number of UK consumers reporting incidents where they had unknowingly been sold counterfeit software, and the announcement that four more resellers had settled with Microsoft after being caught selling illegal software in the last six months.
"Consumer reports recently played a vital part in helping to bring a known counterfeiter, Khuram Shazad, to justice," said Wardell. "After an investigation by the Cleveland Police, Mr Shazad, the owner of Exisoft, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of money laundering and selling counterfeit software to UK consumers who thought they were getting the real deal."
