Microsoft claims success against unlicensed XP

Software giant has doubled the average settlement from rogue traders of counterfeit and unlicensed software, but is steeled for an assault once Vista ships

Microsoft says it is forcing more rogue dealers and traders to pay up for selling or handling counterfeit and unlicensed software and has doubled the amount of money it recovers from each one. But the company is also steeling itself for a renewed barrage of unlicenced XP software in the wake of the Vista launch later this year.

On Thursday, Microsoft’s UK anti-piracy unit announced that its “Keep IT Real” and “Feet on the Street” initiatives were delivering results. Since ”Keep IT Real” was launched in February 2006, the Windows XP piracy rate in the UK has dropped by over 4 percentage points, according to Michala Alexander, Microsoft?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s head of anti-piracy in the UK.

“Overall the rate has been reduced by 4.3 percent to 12.4 percent in just eight months,” she said. Microsoft is now just 0.7 percent away from reaching the three year “Keep IT Real” target to bring the rate to 11.7 percent, she said.

‘Keep IT Real” is Microsoft’s initiative to raise awareness among business and the public of the work Microsoft [is doing] this year to combat software piracy.”

“Feet on the Street” is a strategy where Microsoft looks for irregular use of software and licensing patterns by large users, dealers and distributors. This can lead to a follow-up talk with them about their use of Microsoft software and whether they are using it according to the licensing conditions.

Full article: ZDNet UK