Chinese court convicts 11 in software piracy ring

Microsoft applauds the sentences, saying they are the stiffest ever in this type of Chinese copyright infringement case.
(From The New York Times)

The story "Chinese court convicts 11 in software piracy ring" published December 31, 2008 at 12:10 PM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Seaspray0]

It's not enough. That's a drop in the bucket of their 80% or more piracy.

[Lerianis]

Actually, it's MORE than enough. If Microsoft and the other comapnies would get real and get smart, and start selling their products for a REASONABLE price and REAZSONABLE profit..... there wouldn't be any problems with piracy, except with things that you cannot get in some countries, like some Japanese hentai games.

[Vegaman_Dan]

6 and a half years is all the maximum penalty was? Wow. No wonder it's so profitable to pirate content in China. That's nothing for a prison sentence.

I don't see this is any sort of deterrant at all, and in fact only promotes that it's an easy crime.

[wlau]

You are kidding right? In the US, you can kill someone and get out before 6 years... It's definitely a step in the right direction

[sflocal]

11 down.... 3,294, 738,119 people left to go!

[shootthecops]

wasnt it bill gates that said something along the lines of 'if people are going to pirate software we prefer they pirate our software'?

>software can be purchased for as little as $3.
take that away and you'll be driving a whole lot of people toward linux. then again, with the Chinese government's backdoor Red Flag distro, they might be planning something sinister.

[shootthecops]

wasnt it bill gates that said something along the lines of 'if people are going to pirate software we prefer they pirate our software'?

>software can be purchased for as little as $3.
take that away and you'll be driving a whole lot of people toward linux. then again, with the Chinese government's backdoor Red Flag distro, they might be planning something sinister.

[Lerianis]

As little as three dollars? BWAHAHAHAHAAHA! That has to be the funniest LIE that I have ever seen.

[shootthecops]

the quote is from the article and it refers to pirated software, genius

[Lerianis]

You didn't make that clear, genius. I thought you were saying that the ACTUAL software that Microsoft sells could be gotten for 3 dollars.... I knew that was a big lie.

[Commander_Spock]

What a pity it was not IBM's OS/2 Warp they were counterfeiting....but then, anyone can have "Linux" for free!!!

[Commander_Spock]

What a pity it was not IBM's OS/2 Warp they were counterfeiting....but then again, anyone in the world can have "Linux" for free!!!

[anhtney]

Why would you have Linux when windows is out there for cheaper.

[Gayle Edwards]

Let me get this straight...

Microsoft (a company that has been repeatedly found guilty of, knowingly, violating the law, time, after time, after time (and thereby, seriously harming consumers, and other software companies)... all around the world... applauds harsh sentences for "software pirates". And, Microsofts, most rabid defenders, scream that SIX YEARS IN A CHINESE PRISON, just isnt enough..?

Oh, brother..!

But then, I also remember reading an officially-published opinion piece from one Microsoft-executive that bluntly stated that, in his opinion, "software pirates" actually being physically-maimed, or even killed, wasnt too extreme. Even worse, when you consider that Microsoft frequently defines "piracy", in some cases, as people that simply didnt rigidly obey Microsofts, arbitrary and capricious, EULAS, quite closely enough.

Commercial copyright-infringement is certainly very, very, wrong... but, Microsoft as a moral-authority..?

Can you say; arrogant, self-serving, hypocritical, corruption..?

[Lerianis]

Excuse me, but I am a "Microsoft rabid defender" and I think these sentences are overkill. 6 months, at most.
The Chinese government should also start telling Microsoft "YOUR PRODUCTS ARE OVERPRICED EVEN OVER HERE!" (sings the stuff in quotes).

[CITechnologies]

So if 6 years seems quite low to you....then the U.S. penalty of UP TO 5 YEARS AND $250,000 FINE must really tick you off. Sounds to me like the Chinese penalty is much worse given their prisons really are prisons and the U.S. prisons are a joke.