Survey shows 80 per cent have concerns about risks of counterfeit software

Microsoft has released the results of a broad consumer survey, which asked more than 38,000 men and women in 20 countries about their perceptions of counterfeit software.

The results provide some of the clearest evidence yet that people worldwide see real danger in using it.

By a three-to-one margin, consumers agreed that counterfeit software is not as safe to use as genuine, with data loss and ID theft among their top concerns. There was also resounding support for government and industry to take action against counterfeiters.

“Consumers everywhere are coming to us with complaints about counterfeit software,” said David Finn, associate general counsel for worldwide anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting at Microsoft. “They’re asking what they can do to protect themselves. They want facts. And they want industry and government to stand up and take action. Our commitment is to do everything we can to help them.”

But the presence of high quality fakes in the market makes distinguishing counterfeit from genuine a continuing challenge for consumers; 73 per cent say they would choose genuine software given the choice, but less than half believed consumers in general could spot counterfeit software if they had to.

The data confirms what has become a recurring theme in complaints submitted through Microsoft’s “How to Tell” Web site.

“The results of this survey show that there is still a real need for the software industry and government to educate consumers about counterfeit software,” said Dr Antoine Camilleri of the international software trade organisation Business Software Alliance.

“Consumers don’t want counterfeit software. They know it’s harmful, and in fact, it’s hurting people everywhere. But they need the tools and the knowledge to keep themselves safe from those risks.”

Focusing on what it calls the “three Es” (education, engineering and enforcement), Microsoft makes a significant investment each year into educational resources to help consumers protect themselves, new technologies that make counterfeiting software more difficult, and supporting governments as they work to enforce their laws against software counterfeiters and bring them to justice.

Maltese magistrates, in a judgment handed down on September 30, convicted a reseller of computer hardware products who was distributing pirated Microsoft software. Described by the Business Software Alliance as “a very important step in the fight against software copyright theft in Malta”, this judgment, demonstrates Microsoft’s constant will to prevent Maltese consumer s from being defrauded by dishonest resellers.

Microsoft recommends that consumers also check whether their software passes the Windows validation test whenever they purchase online, in stores or pre-loaded onto computers.

Yesterday Microsoft held ‘Consumer Action Day’ to call attention to the problem of software counterfeiting around the globe. Microsoft subsidiaries highlighted new technologies to stop counterfeiting, educational activities and resources to help consumers protect themselves, and Microsoft’s support of governments as they seek to enforce the laws in their countries.