• Illustration: Manually Entering Product Key for Validation

A new antipiracy program that promotes the value of using legitimate or "genuine" versions of Windows is quietly being rolled out through the Microsoft Download Center. Before they can download software such as Windows Media Center Series 9, customers are being asked to run special software that confirms that the copy of Windows they are using has been activated or has a valid product key. While the program is currently voluntary and limited to noncritical downloads, it is likely to expand to include access to all downloads, including security updates and patches, as well as product support.

Validating Genuine Windows

During the Genuine Windows pilot program, which started in Sept. 2004, users are asked to download and run an ActiveX control that validates that their copy of Windows is genuine before downloading certain software applications. Users of Windows XP who activated their software during installation, or whose software was activated by an OEM or with a legitimate Volume License Key, will likely find validation with the ActiveX control to be automatic.

For older versions of Windows, and in some cases for copies of Windows that are not successfully validated, the user must enter the product key from the Certificate of Authenticity attached to their PC or on the installation CD case. (The manual interface is shown in the illustration "Manually Entering Product Key for Validation".)

The product key will be checked to ensure it is valid. If it is legitimate, the user will get a message that their Windows version is "genuine" (the term Microsoft is using to describe legal copies of Windows), and they will get access to the download. Once their copy of Windows is validated, users should not have to perform this check again before downloading software.

During the pilot period, if Microsoft cannot validate the product key, the customer will still be able to download the software, but will be encouraged to contact the OEM, system integrator, or retailer from whom they purchased Windows to obtain a valid product key. If they cannot get a valid product key, they will be able to report the potential piracy to Microsoft. In the future, access to the download may be blocked until validation succeeds.

Limiting Piracy

The purpose of the Genuine Windows program is to limit software piracy. According to a study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and International Data Corporation (IDC), while US$80 billion in software was installed on computers worldwide in 2003, only US$51 billion was legally purchased. Illegal copies of software are a big business: for example, in Sept. 2004, Microsoft announced the conclusion of a two-year investigation with the FBI that culminated in indictments against individuals allegedly responsible for unauthorized media replication, printing of counterfeit documentation, and distribution of counterfeit software, including more than US$80 million worth of Microsoft software, as well as products from Adobe and Symantec.

Besides costing Microsoft revenue, piracy also hurts OEMs and systems integrators, which must compete with vendors that do not pay for the software they put on new computers. In addition, customers may not be getting complete versions of the software, or may be getting versions that contain viruses or spyware.

The validation program is just one part of an ongoing and multiphase antipiracy attack, which includes the activation of software during installation, a feature introduced with Office 2000 and Windows XP, and recent announcements of a less costly Windows Starter Edition for certain geographies.

Mandatory Validation in the Future

The Genuine Windows program is currently voluntary so that Microsoft can gauge its impact on piracy and ensure that it does not unduly interfere with paying customers. Under the pilot, users are not asked to validate their software for downloads that are strategically important to Microsoft, such as the newest version of Media Player, which is necessary to use certain Microsoft digital media products, such as the Portable Media Center (a new class of portable Windows CE device that plays audio as well as displays pictures and video). If customers see value in confirming their copy of Windows is genuine, and if there are not too many complaints about access to downloads, then the program will continue to expand. The ability to bypass the validation check could be removed, and the software categories that require validation could grow to include even critical updates and patches. Additionally, access to support of any kind could require proof that the user has a genuine copy of Windows.

During the pilot, Microsoft says customers will be able to get "critical" patches, but customers might not always agree with Microsoft’s definition of critical. For example, Microsoft defines as noncritical a patch for Windows XP that fixes several bugs that affect the ability to burn CDs, and downloading this particular patch currently involves voluntary validation. But a user who is unable to burn CDs because of a bug in XP is likely to consider the patch critical.

The pilot validation program is starting with English versions of Windows, which targets regions where users are less likely to have pirated copies of Windows, are more likely to report piracy, and expect a legal version when they buy from a reputable supplier. If the validation program reduces piracy, or does not result in negative feedback from legal customers, it could be rolled out in other languages.

Resources

Windows Starter Edition is introduced in "Windows Starter Edition Launched in Asia" on page 5 of the Sept. 2004 Update.

For background about activation, see "Operating System Activation Aims at Piracy" on page 24 of the Mar. 2001 Update.

Downloads requiring voluntary validation are notated with an arrow icon at the Microsoft Download Center at www.microsoft.com/downloads.

Genuine Windows and the validation program are described at www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx.

To learn how to protect against software piracy, see www.microsoft.com/piracy/default.mspx.

Customers who suspect they have pirated software can report it at www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/Report.aspx.

The impact of software piracy is discussed at www.bsa.org/usa/research.

The Portable Media Center is described in "Portable Media Centers Launch" on page 29 of the Oct. 2004 Update.