8:46 pm HKT
Oct 24, 2011

China Real Time

Software Group: More Piracy, More Lawsuits Coming in China

    • It's a good thing. Force you to change.

    • No innovation in there, just tweaked stuff and shanzaï

    • http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-06/17/content_9981059.htm

      Editor's note: Ma Mingdong is a 25-year-old Beijing blogger and online marketer.

      After I graduated from Huadong Jiaotong University in 2008 - my major was marketing - I worked as a sales person in a pharmaceutical company in Hebei province for six months. But I got bored and wanted to do something more exciting.

      So, I found a job with an Internet marketing company in April 2009 and came to Beijing, where I've learned the business of "Internet manipulation". It wasn't widely known at that time.

      I'm good at writing articles online. I used to visit the popular websites and online forums I write for when I was in school, so I know what kind of articles and titles attract attention.

      My manager gave me contacts to a few people in charge of paid posters. We call them shuijun, which means water army. This is because most posts and comments are like water, they have no significance or meaning but they can be overwhelming when they flood in.

      Paid posters use fake identities to leave comments and articles online. Basically anyone who knows certain people in the industry can flood the Internet with articles. They are paid about 10 to 30 cents for each post, and more if it includes pictures.

      All these paid posters are college kids or jobless people. And there are so many of them. I've told some kids that they can share IDs with each other so they don't need to register themselves. They need someone to teach them how the business works. Otherwise, they are just robots who only know how to copy and paste. I've had thousands of IDs on websites. Some people gave them to me as gifts when they quit this business.

      Deleting posts is more advanced and more profitable. I've met a web editor who is surprised to know that he can make money from doing this. Some got fired because of deleting posts, but to some the money is handsome and they are willing to risk their jobs. I'm against deleting posts but paid posting are okay, as long as it's legal.

      Some people have put their experiences of injustice online, and I can help them to leave comments and forward to other websites so more people can read about these stories. For some, it's their only hope to get their stories heard.

      One of my friends asked me to promote his investment articles online. He is now teaching people how to buy stocks on the finance channel on sina.com. I'm definitely not going to listen to his investment advice. I don't trust the Internet anymore.

      Ma Mingdong was talking to Duan Yan.

    • “I continue to hear concerns about what is happening at provincial levels or municipal levels, where statements are being made that governments should only acquire domestic Chinese software,” he said.

      Maybe should tell Chinese government officials they can only drive domestic cars, instead of black Audi A6s. I bet that goes over well.

      Either way, we might see "Baidu Windows" or "Sina Office 2010" soon.

    • I heard Baidu is introducing a new OS based on google's Android software.......................................................it might have a catchy new name as well! Personally, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Baidu called their new OS 'Autobot software' myself!

    • Audi A6 will stay for the government, the government wants to continue to give money to the chinese associate in that JV.... and maybe at the same time like to promote European cars.

      Thanks Chinese Government.

    • Let's face it: Chinese piracy is far worse and more costly than anything Somalis with AK-47s could ever pull off.

    • Microsoft might find themselves better off if they gave the software away and found a way to charge for ongoing service or maintenance of value. At least they would make more money by finding a price level at which it is easier to buy the software than to pirate it.

    • As this is a way of Cheating and essentially a trade barrier, Hence the most sensible thing would be to impose an import tax on Chinese goods.

      The trade Balance between the US and China would be closer to parity if China paid for its Software / DVD's / Music etc.

    • Who still buys software. I hate to break it most 10-30 year old now a days just download pirated software and movies off Bittorrent. Only people who don't know much about PC buys these copied CD or buy the real thing.

      Only companies buy real software, almost everyone i known just download.

    • Really piracy is the correct way to use the software. Those who don't know much about PC, they are the real customers of these companies. They giving money for their foolishness.

    • I find it interesting that the owners of intellectual propety seem to have little to no interest in addressing the root causes of piracy, namely overpricing. If Microsoft and the movie studios priced their goods low enough for most people to afford, demand for pirated goods would disappear.

      But as long as the price their goods higher than what the market thinks they are worth, consumers will look for a lower priced alternative.

    • @ Laowai88 "pricing"

      Microsoft has tried the heavily discounted pricing model in China for a number of years on certain products - only on Chinese versions of its software. It heavily discounts Windows 7 Home (32 bit only) and Office 2010. Last year I picked up a copy of Office 2010 Home for RMB200 (ie US$30 retail) at Best Buy (before it shut down) which was an ordinary price not a discounted price. Promotions have seen Office and Windows discounted to students (ID card required) for as low as RMB80. Incredible deals given the prices in the West. Despite this aggressive pricing designed to drive licensing, piracy remains rampant.

      Given that both Windows and Office require frequent updates to remain safe, it certainly pays to have licensed software, particularly with Windows being subject to intense attacks.

      There have been major breakthroughs for Microsoft with Shanghai and certain other local governments paying for licenses for all government computers for Windows and Office.

      I have not seen government procurement notices prohibiting the purchase of Microsoft's software (I think domestic procurement regs focus on more upmarket solutions providers).

      For premium versions of software, Windows Professional 64 bit, Microsoft price gouges in China (US$400 a copy). Or try getting an English version of Windows (licensed) for corporate purposes... the mark up is staggering.


    • for the idiots at RIAA, MPAA, and BSA who still can't count. A million pirated copies of a $100 program does not = $100M in lost revenue. When faced with the choice of legal (and expensive) software/movies or nothing/other alternatives, nothing/other alternatives will win EVERY time. Making pirating impossible will NOT force people to now miraculously purchase the software. GET REAL!

    • Hu Jintao might as well wear an eye patch, have a peg leg, and put a parrot on his shoulder!

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