Bangkok--1 Dec--Hill & Knowlton
New worldwide survey shows 80% concerned about risks of counterfeit software;genuine software retailers in Thailand speak out on Microsoft’s Consumer Action Day.
Microsoft has released the results of a broad consumer survey it commissioned, which asked more than 38,000 people in 20 countries around the world 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 it is not as safe to use as genuine software. Data loss and ID theft are 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.”
According to the data released today, 80% of consumers polled worldwide have a range of concerns about the risks of using counterfeit software, and 70 percent said they believe genuine software is more secure, more stable and is easier to keep up-to-date.
But the presence of high-quality fakes in the market today makes distinguishing counterfeit from genuine a continuing challenge for consumers. The majority of those polled — 73 percent — say they would choose genuine software given the choice, and more than two-thirds believe that consumers in general have to be on the lookout or they could mistakenly buy counterfeit software.
Genuine software retailers in Thailand speak up
The data confirms what has become a recurring theme in complaints submitted through Microsoft’s How to Tell website and is reflected by changing consumer trends in Thailand that local IT retailers are now adjusting to by committing to genuine software as a means of ensuring long-term business success:
“There are still some customers who overlook the importance of genuine software and are using counterfeit copies that can put their PC and data at serious risk, but more and more people are now seeing the bigger picture and understanding how this also poses a risk to Thailand’s economic growth,” added Dr. Pitak Pluempitakul, Managing Director, Chiangmai Siam T.V. Company Limited. “At Chiangmai Siam T.V. we take pride in offering only the best, so we have set a policy to sell 100% genuine products to customers in line with Microsoft’s own efforts to support fully-genuine retail partners. We strongly believe that by positioning ourselves as a 100% genuine retailer we can better meet the needs of today’s Thai IT customer and we expect the company’s sales to increase by 30% within the end of this year.”
Microsoft’s Efforts to Stop Software Counterfeiting
Focusing on what it calls the ‘three Es’ of 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.
By releasing the new data in conjunction with its annual Consumer Action Day, Microsoft is now working to highlight these worldwide efforts. As part of this year’s Consumer Action Day, the company is also calling attention to a host of educational resources that can help consumers stay safe with genuine software, which can be found online at
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/antipiracy/materials.aspx.
Microsoft also recommends that consumers check to see whether their software passes the Windows validation test whenever they purchase software online, in stores or pre-loaded onto computers.
How Customers Can Report Piracy
Tips from customers and partners are vital in helping law Microsoft address piracy. Microsoft encourages Thai users who suspect they have been sold a pirated copy of Microsoft software to contact the Microsoft Thailand Customer Contact Center by calling 02-263-6888. For the latest information about genuine Microsoft products, licensing and labels, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/thailand/genuine/howtotell.aspx.
About Consumer Action Day
Each year, Microsoft holds a Consumer Action Day to call attention to the problem of software counterfeiting around the globe. This year’s events are being held Nov. 17 across Microsoft subsidiaries to highlight 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. More information on Consumer Action Day is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/antipiracy.
About the New Consumer Survey on Software Counterfeiting
Earlier this year, Microsoft commissioned market research firm TNS to conduct a worldwide survey in 20 countries to better gauge consumer perception about counterfeit software. More than 38,000 men and women around the world participated. A summary of the survey is available at
www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/antipiracy/materials.aspx.
About MicrosoftFounded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Established in 1993, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited provides world-class software that is easy to use and localized to suit the local market’s needs. It also has a compelling and consistent platform to build powerful business solutions that can scale from a notebook computer to a mainframe — class multiprocessor systems using Microsoft technology. For further information, information, please visit the Microsoft (Thailand) website at: http://www.microsoft.com/thailand.
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