Author: JT Smith
ZDNet Asia reports that pirated copies of Windows XP are selling like hotcakes in Kuala Lumpur. For as little as US$1.50, shoppers in Malaysia’s capital city can pick up a fresh copy of Microsoft’s latest operating system. Microsoft says it’s aware of the sales, but that purchasers are most likely getting incomplete copies intended for testing purposes. At least one street vendor specializing in illicit copies goes as far to offer a full refund if his XP disks turn out to be beta versions. The BSA chimes in near the end of this story, expressing frustration over public indifference to its intimidating advertising campaign, but somehow also managing to claim victory because Malaysia has a 66 percent piracy rate, down 5 percent from 1999.
