So who is the real thief?

They did the work.
They made a product people want.
They have businesses worldwide using what they created.Thus, they get to get as rich from it is they can.

NOTE that there is nothing stopping the ignorant thieves from actually developing their own software if they hate Microsoft so much.

NOTE that you have no right to steal and use what other people legally own, and created by hardwork, and intelligence.

The rationalizations on here are just plain sad.

If Microsoft is so bad then I suppose people would stop using their OS and software, but that is very far from the case.

Go out and achieve something instead of jealously ranting against companies who have achieved.

Marius, as a developer let me tell you something, I make a living on my work and it doesn’t bother me if 99% of the users have my software. The more public have it the better, more distribution, awareness and all that. As long as 1% are paying for it then I am content and I can live with that.

It’s the greedy corporate fat cats who wants the IP down everyone’s throat. The real workers, the lower-level underpaid developers are not at all fussed about IP. We have a development team of 12. Not one of them will agree with you.

Oh, yeah, because the pirating of a few thousand copies of on OBSOLETE program will hurt Microsoft that badly.

hiro81, as a developer let me tell you something. If you’d be making a living on creating intelectual property, you would actually agree with me. It’s no one but you that fails to realize that.