China Jails Four For Microsoft XP Piracy 164
adeelarshad82 writes "Chinese court has jailed four people for spreading their bootleg 'Tomato Garden' version of Microsoft's Windows XP program, in what the Xinhua news agency called the nation's biggest software piracy case. One of the four men Hong Lei, the creator of the downloadable 'Tomato Garden Windows XP' software, was jailed for three and a half years by a court in Suzhou in eastern China, Xinhua."
Tomato garden (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Big nothing. (Score:5, Funny)
So let me get this straight. The largest piracy case ever in the largest country in the world with the most piracy in the world included 4 people?
Yes. It's a shame. My heart really goes out to Microsoft on this one. I mean, the amount of disillusionment they must be feeling right now must be unbearable. All those years of fighting for justice and trying to make a good product and this is what they get? It's like a slap in the face. A real shame. It's like China doesn't give a rat's ass whether Microsoft turns a profit in their country or not, or any other American software company. I tell you what, I'm not going to buy Chinese products any more if they are going to treat American software producers like this. What a farce!
Re:Big nothing. (Score:1, Funny)
Yes, but they were very large people...
Re:Their Biggest One? Really? (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, next time try Bing
Re:Big nothing. (Score:5, Funny)
That's OK -- you'll likely be buying Chinese stuff anyway.
I bought a new thermostat for my car today from the local big-chain auto parts store. A quality Stant unit, at a quality price. Printed on the box it said "Made in USA" in about six different languages, but on the thermostat itself, stamped right into the metal, were the words "Made in China."
I'd have returned it, on this basis alone, but it was the only thermostat in stock in this town which would work with my old BMW, and I needed to get it fixed today.
Re:Big nothing. (Score:5, Funny)
Printed on the box it said "Made in USA"
They were talking about the box.
Tomato Garden? (Score:2, Funny)
Misleading summary! (Score:5, Funny)
I believe there is an error in the translation; the ideogram for "piracy" is very close to the one for "massive pile of stinking shit", and therefore, the headline should actually read: "China jails four for still Using IE6"
Re:Sounds Good (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Use Linux (Score:2, Funny)
Hong "created the Tomato Garden version of the Windows XP," which crippled the program's authentication and certification barriers, said Xinhua, allowing users unrestricted access to the popular Microsoft software.
Huh? Isn't crippling crippling like a double negative? In effect they uncrippled it allowing unrestricted access to the software, something that paying customers don't even get. I think they're on to something. Microsoft should take note.
Tomato Garden Windows XP? Never heard of it before (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Big nothing. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Use Linux (Score:5, Funny)
Huh? Isn't crippling crippling like a double negative? In effect they uncrippled it allowing unrestricted access to the software, something that paying customers don't even get. I think they're on to something. Microsoft should take note.
Hah - you might want to remember the last guy who uncrippled the crippled. It's generally frowned upon by the powers that be.
Re:Use Linux (Score:3, Funny)
What is this Linux you speak about? I've never heard of it before. Do you have a link or something?