Commenting on the desktop anti-piracy measure recently launched by Microsoft in China, Kingsoft says that although they too are harmed by pirated software, China-based Kingsoft will not copy Microsoft's mode and promises to continue to offer free WPS Office software to individual users.
Microsoft has initiated an anti-piracy action which targets pirated Windows XP and Office users. Once confirmed as a pirated Windows XP users, the computer's screen will suffer an hourly episode of turning black, and for users of unauthorized Microsoft Office software, their Office programs will be marked with an obvious pirated software sign. The genuine advantage measure was formally started on October 21, 2008 and many Chinese users say Microsoft's measure amounts to little more than injecting malware into their computers.
In regards to Microsoft's anti-piracy action, Kingsoft's president Qiu Bojun says they support the genuine advantage of software, but the means used by Microsoft are open to question. Qiu says that Kingsoft will never force its users to use authentic software by using technological means and he promises to continue to offer free WPS Office software to individual Chinese users.
As a major competitor of Microsoft's Office software in the Chinese market, Kingsoft's WPS Office offers free downloads of its individual edition and its profits are mainly made by providing value-added services to corporate edition users.
As one of the major products of Kingsoft, WPS Office is mainly used in Chinese government departments and large state-owned companies in China.