Microsoft rebuffs Gorbachev's plea to help Russian 'pirate'
By Evan Blass 
posted February 6th 2007 3:53PM
posted February 6th 2007 3:53PM
After having just been informed by the Romanian president, in so many words, that his country owes its IT success in no small part to pirated Microsoft products, can you really blame Bill Gates for being a little hesitant about standing up for the rights of an accused Russian pirate? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, Gates' and Microsoft's refusal to intervene in the case of a schoolteacher who ran his classroom PC's on illegal copies of Windows seems completely justified given the rampant piracy found in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe. However, when we take a closer look at the details of the conflict -- including the fact that it was none other than Mr. Glasnost himself, Mikael Gorbachev, who requested Gates' intervention -- things get a little murkier. For his part, the teacher / principal -- Aleksandr Ponosov -- claims that he did not in fact install the pirated software himself, but only purchased the machines second-hand with the illegal bits already on board. Even Vladimir Putin -- not usually portrayed as a "people person" -- has come out publicly in support of Ponosov, and it is Putin's interest in the case which may ultimately spare the man several years of forced labor in a Siberian work camp. Microsoft's official take on the situation? "Mr. Ponosov's case is a criminal case and as such was initiated and investigated by the public prosecutor's office in Russia. We are sure that the Russian courts will make a fair decision," asserted a spokesman for the software giant, adding "We do respect the Russian government's position on the importance of protecting intellectual property rights." So, Microsoft thinks that Russia is dedicated to its IP theft crackdown? Somewhere in Moscow right now, the gang at AllofMP3.com is having a good laugh.
Too boring to finish reading...
hmmm maybe if it wasnt so easy to crack... a little bit of registry editing will give you a fully activated copy of windows..
Russia isn't in Eastern Europe
Russia is eastern Europe...
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Я взломанный окон
Thank you google translator.
Мне тоже.
Microsoft's position on this is irrelevant. It isn't a civil case where MS is the wronged party, it's a criminal prosecution by the Russion authorities. No matter what you think of Russia's system, it is up to them to handle this and not something MS should get in the middle of.
But wait!
"Days after a beaming Bill Gates unveiled his much-vaunted Windows Vista software at a retail price of $400 for the premium version, Latin American street vendors are hawking pirate copies for under $10."
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-02-06T202032Z_01_N06333309_RTRUKOC_0_US-MICROSOFT-PIRACY.xml
Throw that guy in a gulag in Siberia!
- ferg
AllofMp3 is pretty awesome. Everybody including the so called ITunes are a huge ripoff!!. We need more websites like allofmp3.
Alexander Ponosov is Russian authority's high profile demonstration that they're doing something about piracy. Russia started the piracy crackdown as part of its efforts to join the WTO so I doubt they would stop for anyone.
What a random example to make out of someone! Is it even possible to intentionally buy a legit copy in Russia? Ya dumayu net. Pirated products sit on the shelf next to legal stuff in stores/markets owned and sponsors by international companies. I seriously doubt someone could buy a legitimate copy of Windows there if they tried.
Yeah if Bill Gates would think a little more about security this wouldnt be a problem would it? how many pirated versions of mac os x do you see.....
not many, good sir
Sorry to burst your bubble, but we live in a predominantly Microsoft world and not a Mac world. No offense, but if someone gave me 100 copies of OSX I wouldn't run it. I'm not saying it's a bad OS, it just isn't nearly as popular as anything Windows based, thus the paucity of pirated copies of OSX.
Matt B
Я взломанный окон
Thank you google translator.
You just said: "I'm a broken Windows" =]
Mystery
LOL, сибирские лагеря. Доколе вообще Россию будут представлять по 1930-ым и пропаганде, а?
This case is pure idiocy, btw. And Ponosov is just a scapegoat.
Two things here:
One: It's certainly not in any developing country's interest to crack down on IP theft. They create little IP but get the benefit without having to expend capital. I mean if they could get free cars, do you think they wouldn't? So it doesn't make sense to think that they're making an example of a school teacher to satisfy the WTO. I mean if you want to make an example, I'm sure there are far less sympathetic people using pirated software. If anything, they're trying to create an example of a poor person just trying to help the children...
Two: angelsvairwaves1 - Have you ever installed OS X? There is no security (in terms of preventing piracy) whatsoever on the retail versions, and the security on the versions bundled with machines is laughable. Now obviously this is because of the different business models, but if you're going to throw in a Apple fanboy comment, try to make it coherent.
"Я взломанный окон"
"Мне тоже."
If you are going type Russian I wouldn't suggest using Google Translator. Windows is not translated as Окнa but simply pronounced Vindos.
Lol, yeah, that would mean windows literally.
"how many pirated versions of mac os x do you see....." Um since almost all Macs are sold in the US who outside the US would want it? Mac has less than 1% marketshare in any country outside the US and doesn't have much even in the US but I guess that's your point since people only pirate what people want.
no one runs OSX so whats the point of pirating it?
Я ваш рот ебал.
Argue the fair use exception to copyright law, under a theory of educational copies. Or maybe Russian IP law is different. *shrug*
for the non-russian speaking, a side note - ponosov really has it crappy with his name (pun intended ...).. roughly translated it would mean "of diarrhea" (in that Warf son 'of Mog' sense)
:)
Well, that's that. They asked nicely, and got nowhere. It's time for Russia to respond with extreme force.
Оставьте учителя в покое! Какой идиот в России будет покупать легальный Windows за такие деньги, когда одна копия стоит как зарплата этого учителя за три месяца? Билу и так хватит. Там другой мир и другая экономика. У них два варианта - установить дешевую/бесплатную ОС или вообще ничего.
Leave that teacher alone! What kind of idiot in Russia would buy legal Windows for the money for 1 copy which that teacher receives for 3 month of work? Bill has enough already. It’s a different world with different economy. They only have two choices out here: get cheap/free OS illegaly or get nothing.
"Mikael"? "forced labor in a Siberian work camp"??
Evan Blass, you're one ignorant mofo.
Just for lolz, use your favorite online translation service to find out what the word «понос» (out of which the Ponosov family name is derived) means.