Piracy Crackdown

Obviously as a wanna-be IP lawyer I'm (now) very much in favour of corporations being able to protect their intellectual property (provided I can download the occasional album gratis via Bittorent).

So it was with interest that I read on BBC news of Bill Gates' latest initiative.

I quote :

Customers who discover that their copy of Windows is pirated have two options.
They can get a free version of Windows if they fill out a counterfeit report identifying the source of the software, providing proof of purchase and returning the counterfeit CD. If they are unable to provide all the information, filling out a report will entitle them to receive a copy of Windows XP Home Edition for the reduced price of £56 or Windows XP Professional Edition for £86.

Er, so I can get a free copy if I can provide "proof of purchase"; having been to the Golden Centre in Shamshipo and the (slightly more sallubrious) Mong Kong Computer Centre (both in Hong Kong for the benefit of the uninitiated), I can honestly say I've never been offfered a receipt for pirated software...nor do many Warez sites send a receipt to your email (whether in English or Russian).

So doubt many people will be getting their hands on free copies of Windows any time soon - unless of course they stick to using good old fashioned pirated copies.