Microsoft "Biggest Hacker In China"

Microsoft's new antipiracy tool has consumers up in arms in China — and even the China Software Industry Association is planning action.

Microsoft definitely isn’t popular in China at the moment. In a country where counterfeit software is rife (around 90% by many estimates), it’s launched a new antipiracy tool.

The Windows Genuine Advantage program turns on-screen backgrounds black every hour if it can’t validate the software, the Guardian reports, rather than just notifying the user, as had been the case before. And that’s what has the Chinese up in arms.

Beijing lawyer Dong Zhengwei has not only complained to the Security Ministry calling Microsoft the “biggest hacker in China,” he’s also written to China Daily:

"I respect the right of Microsoft to protect its intellectual property, but it is taking on the wrong target with wrong measures. They should target producers and sellers of fake software, not users."

Even the China Software Industry Association is planning action against Microsoft.