Black screen angers Windows users in China
Microsoft's anti-piracy add-on turns computer screens black once every hour. Use of pirated software is widespread in China. Consumers are bristling, and a copyright official criticizes the 'black-out' method.
Reporting from Beijing — A top Chinese copyright official criticized Microsoft this week as consumers howled over an add-on that nags pirated Windows software users, then periodically blackens their screen, a nudge for them to buy a genuine copy
The "Windows Genuine Advantage" initiative introduced by the Redmond, Wash.-based giant in China goes beyond earlier versions elsewhere by turning desktops black every 60 minutes if the software fails a validation test. "You may be the victim of pirated software," it then warns repeatedly.
The program has left many users disgruntled in a market where pirated software is widespread. "If my screen goes black, we can raise money to smash something," wrote Sghuge888 on the website pop.pcpop.com.
Yan Xiaohong, vice director of the National Copyright Administration, told the state New China News Agency late Monday that his agency supported corporate efforts to safeguard their copyrights but questioned this approach. "Whether the 'black-out' method should be adopted is open to question," Yan said. "Measures for safeguarding rights also need to be appropriate."
Some computer users said they appreciated that their government was protecting their interests but weren't too worried about the inconvenience. A rash of free fixes have sprung up, including one called "360 Guard," which allows fleet-footed users to filter out Microsoft downloads that aren't pirate friendly.
"No matter how severe the anti-piracy efforts are, Chinese users will figure out how to get around them," said Yang Fangzhou, a 25-year-old brokerage worker from Fujian province. "Most people here don't want to spend the money and have no moral qualms about using pirated software." A few may get caught with blackened screens, he added, but they're mostly neophytes who know little about computers, and the problem is easily fixed.
That hasn't stopped many from venting. Recent polls on Chinese Web portals, including QQ.com, Sohu.com and 21cn.com, found most respondents used pirated copies of Windows XP and Vista and over 70% strongly disliked Windows Genuine Advantage.
Last week, Beijing attorney Dong Zhengwei sent a complaint to China's Ministry of Public Security urging the police to go after Microsoft for economic damage and collective inconvenience. He termed the company's program a "hacker-style attack" that infringed on users' privacy without their permission.
