Nov 07
In a Move to Combat Piracy, Microsoft Signs Deal with Chinese PC Maker to Pre-Install Windows
Beijing, China — Nov 07, ‘07 – Microsoft and China’s No. 2 personal computer maker signed an agreement Wednesday to pre-install Microsoft’s Windows operating system in PCs to combat widespread Chinese product piracy.
The agreement with Founder Technology Group Corp. shows “the commitment of both companies to protect intellectual property rights,” the companies said in a joint statement. Founder also will sell Microsoft keyboards, Webcams and other hardware in more than 500 stores across China, the companies said.
“Our partnership with Founder is an essential part of our strategy here in China and around the world,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at a signing ceremony. Founder President Qi Dongfeng, speaking at a news conference later, declined to say how much the Chinese company would pay Microsoft. Qi said Founder expects to pre-install Windows on nearly all its consumer PCs and about 40 percent of its business computers.
Ballmer did not take questions from reporters or mention piracy directly in his comments. China is the world’s leading source of illegally copied software, music and other goods. Foreign officials and business groups say the scale of piracy is growing despite increased Chinese enforcement.
Some 82 percent of software used in China last year was pirated, well above the Asian regional average of 55 percent, according to an industry group, the U.S.-based Business Software Alliance. More at FoxNews.