Editing Criticism of Microsoft (section)

== Ignoring unauthorized copying ==

Microsoft ignored unauthorized copying of its own software for their benefit on the long term. While talking about users in China who do not pay for the software they use in 2006, to an audience at the University of Washington, Bill Gates said "And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-09-fi-micropiracy9-story.html|title=How Piracy Opens Doors for Windows? |work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 9, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804203347/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-09-fi-micropiracy9-story.html |archive-date=August 4, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The practice allowed Microsoft to gain some dominance over the Chinese market and only then taking measures against unauthorized copies. In 2008, by means of the Windows update mechanism, a verification program called "[[Windows Genuine Advantage]]" (WGA) was downloaded and installed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20081028-chinese-netizens-slam-microsofts-anti-piracy-policy-software|title=Chinese netizens slam Microsoft's anti-piracy policy |publisher=France 24|date=October 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701080323/https://www.france24.com/en/20081028-chinese-netizens-slam-microsofts-anti-piracy-policy-software |archive-date=July 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> When WGA detects that the copy of Windows is not genuine, it periodically turns the user's screen black. This behavior angered users and generated complaints in China with a lawyer stating that "Microsoft uses its monopoly to bundle its updates with the validation programs and forces its users to verify the genuineness of their software".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-10/28/content_7150746.htm|title=Microsoft not playing fair|work=China Daily|date=October 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215041114/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-10/28/content_7150746.htm |archive-date=February 15, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>