Microsoft Brands Pirated Desktops Black

By Greg McNevin

October 24, 2008: Microsoft has been labelled the “biggest hacker in China” this week after its latest Windows XP update purposely turned the desktops of pirated copies of the operating system black.

The latest update of Windows Genuine Advantage seeks out pirated copies of the OS and changes the desktop and at the same time sends intermittent messages to the user urging them to purchase legal software.

The Wall Street Journal reports that while the update is global, it appears to be part of a new push by Microsoft to address Chinese piracy, as illegitimate copies of its software overwhelmingly outnumber the legitimate there.

This assertion appears to be backed by new XP pricing in China, which has been slashed to under AU$45 for the Home version.

Some 200 million computer users are thought to be knowingly or unknowingly using pirated software in China, however, the move by Microsoft has raised the ire of the Chinese internet community with commentators claiming Microsoft is violating people’s rights.

“Why is Microsoft automatically connected with my computer? The computer is mine!” wrote blogger on the popular Chinese web portal Sina.com according to Reuters. “Microsoft has no right to control my hardware without my agreement.”

Microsoft has been accused of holding people hostage and causing potential data losses with the automatic change of background, which happens hourly. However, that charge seems somewhat overblown considering the background change and popup message, while annoying, is little more than a reminder.

A Microsoft spokesman in China says that the move is aimed at helping end users avoid the pitfalls of non-genuine software.

Comment on this story