What is Microsoft announcing today?
MacNaughton: We are announcing the first results of a new, ongoing campaign aimed at cracking down on one of the ways consumers and businesses are tricked into buying counterfeit or illegal Microsoft software. Namely, we are taking action against computer resellers who use counterfeit, or misuse legitimate, Certificate of Authenticity (COA) labels — the labels attached to every PC with legitimate Microsoft software or the packaging of legitimate standalone software. We have spent the past few months determining the extent of the problem, identifying individuals and businesses at the heart of it and trying to educate them about the proper use of COAs. And, beginning today, we are taking legal action against some of the most egregious offenders. PressPass: Can you tell us more about COA labels and the role they play? MacNaughton: COA labels are a tool we introduced to help our customers determine if they have purchased genuine Microsoft software and components. They are rectangular-shap
