| Discussion at the European Parliament followed the announcement that Microsoft experienced an increase in voluntary reports - more than 150,000 in the past two years and more than double the amount of previous records — from consumers who unknowingly purchased counterfeit software containing viruses or malware. In response, Microsoft announced a surge of its own with Consumer Action Day, a simultaneous launch of education initiatives and enforcement actions in more than 70 countries to help protect consumers and increase awareness of the risks of counterfeit software. Highlights included an intellectual property rights education program in schools across China, an originals club for software resellers in Germany, a risk-of-counterfeit training course for the consumer protection authority in Mexico, a children’s online safety program in Greece, and a study of piracy’s impact on small and midsize businesses in Argentina. An interactive map detailing these efforts around the world today can be found at www.howtotell.com. |