As Microsoft Corp.'s new operating system, Windows® XP, is launched today, the company has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting intellectual property from the hands of software counterfeiters. Recognizing that intellectual property is a driving force that fuels productivity and economic growth worldwide, Microsoft's anti-piracy efforts are intended to decrease the negative impact software piracy has on consumers, the software industry and the global economy. According to software industry reports by the Business Software Alliance, it is estimated that 37 percent of all business software applications worldwide are pirated and in some countries that number surpasses 90 percent, ultimately costing the global economy $12 billion annually.
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