Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Microsoft to Modify Windows XP Product-Activation Policy
By Mary Jo Foley
UPDATED: As part of its anti-piracy campaign, Microsoft will be tweaking its new-user registration procedures as of next week.
Microsoft is continuing its crack-down on Windows pirates, and is modifying its product-activation policies to do so.
Product activation, which Microsoft first introduced with Windows XP in 2001, is Microsoft's way of requiring new Windows users to authenticate their copies of Windows. Microsoft has required users not covered by volume-license agreements to authenticate their XP copies via the Internet or phone using their unique product keys.ADVERTISEMENT
As of next week, however, Microsoft plans to curtail the number of users relying on the Web to activate their copies of XP.
As of February 28, Microsoft will disable Internet activation for all Windows XP product keys located on Certificates of Authenticity (COA) labels that are distributed by the 20 top worldwide PC vendors. Microsoft will be relying on these PC makers to do the activation for users.
Microsoft sent a distribution alert to let its field sales force know of this change a couple of weeks ago. Tech blogger Aviran Mordo posted a copy of the alert to his Web site on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Microsoft officials acknowledged the authenticity of the alert.
Via the new XP product activation policy, Microsoft is hoping to eliminate piracy that occurs when product keys are stolen from COAs that traditionally have been placed on PCs by OEMs.
"Now, if you type a key into (the authentication mechanism) on the Web, it will activate and not tell you anything is wrong," even if the key is stolen, said Alex Kochis, senior license compliance manager with Microsoft's Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partner group, and author of the distribution alert.
"This is our opportunity to tell customers that product keys may not have been obtained properly," Kochis said.
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* Microsoft: No Counterfeit XP Replacement for U.S. Users
* Microsoft Reloads Its XP Cannon
According to the Microsoft alert, Microsoft will disable the ability to activate direct OEM product keys over the Internet. If a customer attempts to activate using a pirated key, the product activation wizard will instruct them to call Microsoft customer service. Microsoft call center operators will be authorized to issue override keys only to customers who answer questions that prove they have legitimate copies.
Kochis said that Microsoft is looking at expanding the new policy to smaller PC makers and system builders.
"We are working toward an expansion that will cover all pre-activated PCs. This expansion will begin next quarter," said Kochis.
Microsoft has sued a growing number of resellers for distributing pirated software. But some resellers have claimed that it is difficult to determine whether Windows COAs are counterfeit.
"When resellers purchase from Microsoft-authorized distributors, they can mitigate their risk," said Kochis. "Resellers who buy standalone COAs have always been at risk, and now it (purchasing COAs this way) is a criminal offense in the U.S."
Note: This story was updated to include additional comments from Microsoft.
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