Microsoft rebrands anti-piracy technology

Microsoft is renaming its Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy system and adding several tweaks for Windows 7. The rebranding appears to be partially an attempt to overcome the negative feedback on  some elements of the scheme.

The system for Windows 7 as well as existing Vista protection will now be known as Windows Activation Technologies. The name change is accompanied by several usability changes. For example, when the user of a non-activated copy of Windows gets an activation prompt, they’ll no longer get a mandatory 15-second delay before they can choose to ignore it. Instead, the user will now get a message promoting the benefits of activating their copy of Windows, but will be able to click immediately to ignore the prompt.

The tactics appear to be changing to put more emphasis on the activation process as a positive for the user, and less on threats. By stressing activation rather than validation, Microsoft is trying to remove the ill will caused by the implication that somebody who hasn’t activated their copy is likely a pirate. The firm has also introduced features to make it easier for businesses to activate copies of Windows that are being run through a virtualization set-up.

Microsoft is also pushing the message that piracy of Windows causes problems other than hurting its own income. It notes that pirated copies may have performance problems (which can be particularly confusing to people who don’t know they are running a pirated version) and be more susceptible to crashes that lead to data loss.

As we reported recently, the continued anti-piracy campaign hasn’t stopped Microsoft from continuing to offer security updates for all Windows users, however legitimate their copies are. That’s probably a smart move as Windows machines getting infected is bad news for the company’s image, regardless of whether the system is legitimate.

The main problem with Microsoft’s new tactics is that they seem to be based on the idea that most people with pirated copies of Windows do not realize they are bogus. It’s just a hunch, but I’d imagine most of those people either know full well they have a knock-off copy, or at the least have acquired a cheap copy and made a point of not asking any questions.

• Windows 7 anti-piracy steps already under threat
• Vista phones home to check for piracy
• Microsoft to remove "reduced functionality mode" from Vista
• Microsoft warns of the piracy blues
• Pirates give Microsoft a headache with Vista activation cracks