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Microsoft to take more flexible pricing strategy in China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-01 11:16
An official of Microsoft said in Shanghai last Friday that the company would take a more flexible pricing strategy in China to allow more users to afford genuine software.
Lin Congwu, a marketing manager of Microsoft China, thanked the National Copyright Administration for publicly expressing "understanding and support" for the company's anti-piracy efforts.
"There is no doubt about whether piracy is right or not. But we can discuss whether software is expensive or not," Lin added. On Monday, the administration's vice-director Yan Xiaohong said the administration "understands and supports the rights-safeguarding move taken by institutions including Microsoft." However, he pointed out that Microsoft should "pay attention to the methods." Microsoft launched the "Windows Genuine Advantage" (WGA) and "Office Genuine Advantage" (OGA) tools last week to test the legitimacy of the software in China's computers. Those whose software failed the tests would see a black desktop or a permanent warning of pirated Office software.
The headline-hitting incident also triggered online surveys on almost every major portal website in China. The majority of respondents said they were unhappy with the move. The China Computer Federation has issued a public statement condemning the Microsoft moves, saying the company breached the basic ethics of software developers with the unsolicited remote control of computers. (For more biz stories, please visit Industries)
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