Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management

    Microsoft: Russian Antipiracy Campaign Is a Concern

    Written by

    Nicholas Kolakowski
    Published September 13, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Microsoft found itself a controversy magnet over the weekend, after The New York Times published a Sept. 11 story about the Russian government’s raiding of internal advocacy groups “under the pretext of searching for pirated Microsoft software.” Russian legal counsel retained by Microsoft to combat software piracy, the article suggested, had supported Russian law enforcement in these endeavors.

      The article quotes complaints by advocacy groups that the “antipiracy” raids were used to confiscate files and crush internal dissent. Microsoft’s supposed response to the groups’ complaints was muted, although the company is now reacting strongly to the Times’ report.

      “We take the concerns that have been raised very seriously,” Kevin Kutz, Microsoft’s director of public affairs, wrote in a statement to The New York Times. “When we grant powers-of-attorney to outside counsel to aid our antipiracy efforts, we vet candidates very carefully. We bind them contractually to strict standards and protocols, we train them and we monitor their activities.”

      Microsoft terminates contracts with candidates who violate those provisions, Kutz added. “We have to protect our products from piracy, but we also have a commitment to respect fundamental human rights.”

      Kutz claimed that, as a result of discussions with activist groups, Microsoft would increase its monitoring and training of Russian counsel involved in its antipiracy program, publish the names and certifications of authorized Microsoft representatives in Russia, and work to increase internal awareness of its Infodonor program, which offers free Microsoft software to NGOs (non-governmental organizations).

      On Sept. 13, Microsoft took additional steps to correct the issue.

      “To prevent non-government organizations from falling victim to nefarious actions taken in the guise of antipiracy enforcement,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in a posting on The Official Microsoft Blog, “Microsoft will create a new unilateral software license for NGOs that will ensure they have free, legal copies of our products.” The program would last until 2012, with an extension possible.

      Furthermore, Smith added: “We’re creating in Russia a new NGO Legal Assistance Program focused specifically on helping NGOs document to the authorities that this new software license proves they have legal software.” That will supposedly include details for those NGOs with which to contact Microsoft in the event of questions from the authorities.

      Smith also insisted that “we unequivocally abhor any attempt to leverage intellectual property rights to stifle political advocacy or pursue improper personal gain.” Microsoft will apparently retain an “international law firm” to independently investigate the problem.

      The incident again illustrates the thorny issues involved in Microsoft’s dealings with nations that have less-than-stellar human-rights records. In such cases, the company’s desire to maintain solid business processes finds itself influenced by the government’s need to suppress dissent; those countries’ historic lack of transparency also hinders matters, preventing independent groups from evaluating whether any corrective policies have, in fact, been enacted.

      In late 2009, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof accused Microsoft of “craven kowtowing” to the Chinese government by offering “sanitized pro-Communist results” in response to Bing searches in Simplified Chinese for terms such as “Tiananmen” and “Dalai Lama.” Microsoft later claimed it fixed a “bug” supposedly responsible for Bing Image Search delivering uniformly pro-Chinese-government results to politically sensitive queries.

      In addition to dissident and advocacy-groups issues, Microsoft and other tech companies have been forced to address the question of labor standards in countries such as China, where independent oversight is likewise difficult.

      In August, Microsoft claimed it had investigated allegations of massive labor violations at the KYE Systems factory in China’s Dongguan City, in response to an April report by the National Labor Committee detailing conditions there.

      “Immediately after the NLC report was issued,” Kevin Kutz told eWEEK in an Aug. 24 email, “we dispatched a team of Microsoft and third-party auditors to the KYE facility to conduct an investigative audit of the full scope of issues raised by the report, and to assess other areas related to working conditions, including labor, ethics, health, safety and environmental practices.”

      Those teams, Kutz added, found “some issues” that violated Microsoft’s Vendor Code of Conduct. “Working with KYE, we took corrective measures,” he said. “We continue to monitor working conditions there. . .and will address any further issues if they emerge.”

      However, the National Labor Committee seemed to find that statement unconvincing.

      “It’s so vague that it’s meaningless,” Charles Kernaghan, the organization’s director, told eWEEK in an Aug. 30 phone interview. “In China, all you can possibly get is the dog-and-pony show. They know there’s not going to be any open discussion with the workers.”

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.