Programme to Curb Software Piracy

By Foo Eu Jin

MICROSOFT Malaysia is confident that the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) programme will help reduce software piracy in the country. Its director of small and mid-market solutions and partners Ananth Lazarus said following the introduction of the programme, it is easier for customers to find out if they have genuine Windows software. He said the programme has made it easier for partners to sell genuine Microsoft computer software and harder for them to sell non-genuine ones.

The programme helps partners fight against piracy and provides a platform for better user satisfaction. This is part of the company’s commitment to protect users from software counterfeiting and support partners through education, engineering and enforcement of policies and laws, he said. The programme is designed to differentiate genuine Windows XP from counterfeit ones, and allows users to validate the authenticity of Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition.

Only genuine users are offered discounts, ongoing system improvements, access to updates and software offerings. Currently, the programme validates Windows XP operating system, but in future, it will support other Microsoft products, including Microsoft Office.