Microsoft has started a new program called Keep IT Real, that aims to cut pirate software by five percent over the next three years in the UK. Under this program, Microsoft officials visit retailers that may be loading unlicensed copies of the Windows OS onto newly built computers. The company estimates that it loses up to £285,000 annually within the UK to piracy.
The campaign also calls for close ties with the Patent Office, the Trading Standards Institute and the Chamber of Commerce. The Patent Office is strengthening its ties with law enforcement to combat an increasing problem with counterfeit goods and intrusion on intellectual property rights by sophisticated criminals, said Phil Lewis, head of enforcement for the Patent Office Enforcement Team.