Microsoft joins the industry practitioners on the crusade against illegal software which we support, 100%. The Vanguard reports that “unless sound IP policies were put in place to help reduce software piracy and counterfeiting which threaten legitimate businesses and expose consumers to the risks that come from using non-genuine software, the fight against piracy may be far fetched”. This reasoning was attributed to Emmanuel Onyeje, General Manager Microsoft Anglophone West Africa.
This is very interesting but that is a losing argument, if Microsoft implies an economic risks through virus or malware. If you make the presentation that someone using illegal Word or Excel is exposing his/her business to risk, you will never win this game Microsoft. There is risk associated with piracy, but not the one you are thinking. While using illegal bank ledger like Flexcube could cripple a bank, the use of Word is largely harmless. If you push that risk argument you will not get any help and they will say, we are ready to face the economic risks, if that is what Microsoft has in mind.
The best strategy is just to define that as crime. If you use illegal software, you are stealing and must be treated that way. Make it clear that it is illegal and punishable by law. To many, that is a better threat than any associated self-inflicted economic risks on using Microsoft products.
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Microsoft will need a new engine of growth as Apple redesigns the tech ecosystem. It has to be and getting all the revenues from their software will go a long way. We wish them good luck but they must communicate the criminality of piracy better. The risk is there and it is going to jail. Period.