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Microsoft will not sell boxed Windows 8 in China

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Oct 2012 8:47 User comments (9)

Microsoft will not sell boxed Windows 8 in China In an effort to curb the piracy of their products in the nation, Microsoft has announced they will not offer boxed versions of Windows 8 in China.
If you want to purchase the OS legitimately in the nation, you will need to purchase it digitally or have it pre-installed on a new computer.

"After having talked to many customers, Microsoft has made the decision to simplify the distribution model of Windows in China, by taking all physical Windows media off the market," the company noted.

Although that doesn't make too much sense, Microsoft did add later that the move was made to help protect customers from malware and spyware. Many counterfeit copies sold on the streets include some type of spyware pre-installed.

China has long been one of the world's worst offenders in regards to piracy, with the BSA claiming the illegal software sales market in 2011 totaled $9 billion compared to $3 billion for legal sales.



By some accounts, pirated Windows copies account for 85 percent of the total Windows copies installed in China.

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9 user comments

123.10.2012 21:56

Slackdast, I'm sure they will sell pirated copies on the street. However, users will know they are pirated because, by definition, there are no non-pirated disks available in China. Many will buy them anyway, but it certainly ramps up the pressure on the Chinese goverment a bit because the government can't feign uncertainty about whether the disks are pirated.

223.10.2012 22:02

It really doesn't matter if they do or don't they will still sell them anyways.

323.10.2012 22:39

Er... ok so we are going to make it harder for our product to penetrate a market all the while doing nothing to stop piracy....oh wait making it harder to buy makes it harder to pirate....right....right....

423.10.2012 22:54

here is the issue in this your selling it via digital download which means the download has to come in a exe or a iso file so you really didn't stop jck because both can be pirated

524.10.2012 00:44

Most of you are missing the point -_-

SoTired knows what's good though.

624.10.2012 03:02

the point is they wont be able to purchase a disk version directly so the only option if they want the software and dont have internet access is to get a pirated copy.

724.10.2012 05:39

I think they're doing China a favor, who'd want that waste of an OS anyway? My bad, it's going to work so seamlessly with my upcoming lumia phone and surface tablet purchase. LOL

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 24 Oct 2012 @ 5:45

824.10.2012 07:36

maybe its m$ plan to say poor sales of the OS is going to blame piracy in china.

M$ plan is a fail, if they only do digital copies, well what about ones that don't have internet.....they will source it the only other way is by pirate copies off the street.

924.10.2012 07:58

I'd say people might find it odd going to the shop and seeing Win8 being sold at 1000RMB when they see it sold at the market for 50RMB.

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