News
Chinese Company Founder Buys Windows Licenses
Founder extends goodwill gesture in hopes of promoting use of genuine versions of Windows software.
(Seattle) Chinese computer manufacturer Founder Technology Group
Corp. signed an agreement Wednesday with Microsoft Corp. as part of an
overall effort to crack down on widespread software piracy in China.
Founder Technology President Qi Dongfeng said the company would buy $250
million worth of licenses for a Chinese version of Windows over the next
three years, to be used on computers sold in China. The two companies
also agreed to work together to promote the use of genuine versions of
Windows.
The agreement, which company officials signed at Microsoft's Redmond
headquarters, follows high-level talks Tuesday between U.S. and Chinese
officials in which China pledged to crack down on piracy and require computers
to use legal software. Piracy is thought to be extremely widespread in
China, hampering Microsoft's efforts to make money in the vast and growing
market.
The signing ceremony also comes ahead of a visit next week by Chinese
President Hu Jintao, who will visit Microsoft headquarters and dine at
the home of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
Other computer manufactures also have already begun efforts to increase
the number of computers running legitimate Windows versions.
Last week, Chinese PC manufacturer Tsinghua Tongfang Co. Ltd. signed
an agreement to purchase $120 million worth of Windows licenses over the
next three years for the Chinese market.
And in November, computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. pledged to start loading
most of the computers it manufactures for China with the Windows operating
system. Lenovo is based in Purchase, N.Y., but manufactures its computers
in China.