01 maio 2010

Mariano Gago, um ministro tímido nas declarações sobre a pirataria?

Os Representantes das indústrias culturais indignados com Mariano Gago por ele ter afirmado que "a pirataria tem sido desde sempre uma fonte de progresso e uma fonte de globalização", deviam ter em atenção uma estratégia de negócio protagonizada pela Microsoft.

Em 2007, dizia Bill Gates: We Love Microsoft Software Piracy in China:
Gates argued at the time that while it was terrible that people in China pirated so much software, if they were going to pirate anybody's software he'd certainly prefer it be Microsoft's.

Today Gates openly concedes that tolerating piracy turned out to be Microsoft's best long-term strategy. That's why Windows is used on an estimated 90% of China's 120 million PCs.
Como é que a empresa então desafiou a pirataria? Entre outras medidas, "To combat the piracy of Windows Vista in China, Microsoft has announced that it is cutting the cost of Windows Vista by almost two-thirds (...) Lowering prices to combat piracy? Who'da thunk it? (...) The price cuts are aimed at enticing users into buying legal retail software, while making it slightly less profitable to sell pirated software."

Mas porque é que a "Microsoft Should Welcome Piracy in India and China"?
In this context, applying Western IP enforcement policies to stem the flood of illegal copies of Windows in China and India risks winning the battle (to deter and punish IP infringement) while losing the war (to become the dominant standard operating system on the desktop). As long as Linux remains a serious rival in China and India, Microsoft should welcome pirated copies of its software. Illegal versions of Windows are free, which helps Microsoft offset the initial cost advantage of "free" open-source software.

Every pirated copy installed on a Chinese or Indian computer brings one more person into the Microsoft ecosystem. This strengthens Microsoft's market for third-party developers of applications, tools, and other complementary products. Equally important, it denies Linux that next new customer who would strengthen the open-source ecosystem against Windows.

Muito bem, mas onde se obtém lucro neste "ecossistema"? Um esclarecedor parágrafo neste artigo "Piracy From China: How Microsoft, Ralph Lauren, Nike And Others Can Cope":

investors should realize that while piracy has been a problem in China for luxury product companies and brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Nike, Pfizer’s Viagra, and Callaway, the situation will get better because Chinese consumers want the real products when they can afford them and when there is a material benefit to having a genuine article. With increasing disposable incomes, the future is bright for purveyors of real products.

Ah, e a Microsoft, ganhou entretanto algo com a pirataria? Um exemplo de Abril passado: A local court in Shanghai ruled that Dazhong Insurance must pay nearly 2.2 million yuan (around 320,000 U.S. dollars) in damages to the Microsoft Corporation for software piracy. (...) Dazhong Insurance used at least 450 copies of pirated software and violated software piracy laws in nine categories".

Ficou claro como é que a pirataria pode ser fonte de progresso e de globalização?