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One of these software CDs is real. One isn't. Can you tell the difference?
It’s estimated that up to a third of all installed computer software is fake or pirated. Today, I joined Microsoft in drawing public attention to this serious threat to consumers, businesses and our economy.
Global Anti-Piracy Day is a simultaneous launch of education initiatives and enforcement actions in 49 countries on six continents to combat the sophisticated, illegal trade of pirated and counterfeit software.
When software pirates steal intellectual property, they kill American jobs and suffocate competition. An industry study found that if we could reduce software piracy and counterfeiting by just 10 percent over four years nationally, we could create $41 billion of economic growth and add 32,000 jobs. That’s a major booster shot to cure today’s financial ills.
Modern-day pirates aren’t just producing knockoff software. Last year, I supported an educational forum on counterfeiting sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Officials discussed the dangers of phony brake pads, smoke alarms and pills. According to the World Health Organization, 10 percent of prescription drugs are counterfeit.
Microsoft encourages anyone who receives suspicious software to call the company’s anti-piracy hotline at (800) RU-LEGIT (785-3448). For information on how to identify real Microsoft products, see http://www.howtotell.com.
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Watch the video interview with Attorney General Rob McKenna.