Pirates mar local launch of Windows XP

: ‘Illegal copies of the new OS, touted to have 18 major improvements from previous Windows systems, …were available in Malaysia within days of the “gold” version of Windows XP being delivered to PC makers, for them to bundle it with their machines as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).’ Sold for as little as $3US, the pirated copies sidestepped the highly-publicized need to obtain an activation code from Microsoft to install the OS on your desktop

“by copying the OEM version of Windows XP Corporate Edition that was meant for installation over a network. Since such multiple user or site licensing installations may require many — from dozens to hundreds of — PCs being installed with the software, it is believed that Microsoft had done away with the need for an activation code.

This left the way open for the pirates.

Consumer and privacy advocates in the United States had already been complaining about the activation code — the former complained that the anti-piracy measure would only inconvenience legitimate users and would not bar the pirates.

The latter were wary of Microsoft’s scanning of users’ systems.”