Andre Yoskowitz
22 Sep 2012 12:30
According to Bloomberg, Microsoft has asked China to stop piracy in at least four of the country's state-run companies.
The software giant has filed complaints against China National Petroleum (CNPC), China Post Group, China Railway Construction, and TravelSky Technology, each of which are run by the government.
Supposedly, Microsoft believes that over 40 percent of Microsoft Office and Server software used by the companies are pirated. Reps for the offices each called the estimates "greatly exaggerated" or "inaccurate."
China has long been a haven of pirated software, with most estimated putting legitimate Windows operating system ownership at under 25 percent.
Earlier this year, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan with Wang later promising to help crack down on piracy.
The BSA (whose stats are normally laughable but always interesting) says (via Cnet) Chinese buyers spend just $8.89 per PC on legal software, less than a quarter of the amount spent in other BRIC nations including Russia and far, far below the U.S.