Thursday, December 04, 2003
Digital Orientalism
In 1978 Edward Said published Orientalism in which he detailed how the Western world tended to create an image of Asia as 'the other' in a very negative way. Twenty five years later, there is a Digital Orientalism. The following is a report from Yahoo! News (via Reuters) by Mark Trevelyan, "Security Correspondent":
In 1978 Edward Said published Orientalism in which he detailed how the Western world tended to create an image of Asia as 'the other' in a very negative way. Twenty five years later, there is a Digital Orientalism. The following is a report from Yahoo! News (via Reuters) by Mark Trevelyan, "Security Correspondent":
Creators of computer viruses are winning the battle with law enforcers and getting away with crimes that cost the global economy some $13 billion this year, a Microsoft official said Wednesday. Counterfeit centers are shifting from California and Western Europe to countries including Paraguay, Colombia and Ukraine said David Finn, Microsoft's director of digital integrity for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In Asia, pirate plants have emerged in Vietnam, Macao, and Myanmar (Burma) in addition to more established facilities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. "So far they are getting away with it. They are winning by a considerable margin. Very few have been identified or prosecuted or punished," Finn said. ... Finn said the number of counterfeit Microsoft products intercepted had more than doubled to four million units this year from 1.75 million two years ago. But the value of pirate software seized -- $1.3 billion over three years -- was "a small fraction of what's really out there." He estimated the profit margin on counterfeit software at 900 percent -- nine times higher than for distributing cocaine.First of all, software piracy is completely different to computer viruses and conflating the two is like saying tax fraud and mass murder are the same thing (both criminal, just as the logic seems to be all computer-related crimes are just digital). Secondly, linking counterfeit software to the drug trade, but arguing that piracy is easier and more profitable, is again a nasty journalistic slight of hand. Thirdly, and most annoying to me, is the suggestion that software piracy can be blamed on Asia and South American countries alone. Apart from being rascist, this assertion completely ignores the fact the most of the pirated software is being purchased and used by tourists from Western countries. The US, UK, Australia and other Western countries are every bit as responsible for software "piracy" as anyone else; we buy it, we encourage it, we support it and make sure there's money flowing so it can continue. So, Mark Trevelyan, "Security Correspondent", please don't point just point fingers elsewhere when you and I and everyone else in Western countries should equally be looking in the mirror!
[Posted by Unknown] [10:04 am]
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