Microsoft: More Educated Consumers Pirate Less

While piracy is one thing that is unlikely to be gone from the software industry any time soon, Microsoft is expressing an attitude that shows the company is more confident against the problem than ever.

Besides its WGA protection schemes, Microsoft says that an educated IT market is what's helping curb piracy. Speaking at a Windows 7 launch in the Philippines, Microsoft Philippines Inc., managing director John Bessey said, "We were surprised by the demand for Windows 7 [in the Philippines] not just in number but also the good feedback for new users," according to Philstar.

Bessey said that Microsoft was devoting more resources to making the public aware of the dangers in using pirated and cracked versions of Windows, which might be more susceptible to viruses and malware.

Of course, discounted licenses and upgrades are also good ways to entice users to go legit.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.