In order to combat software piracy, the Microsoft Corporation is sending millions of computer users a software update that turns their screen black, nagging them to switch to legitimate copies of Windows. This measure mostly affects China’s computer users. The update does not prevent people from continuing to use their machines, but some call it a violation, even if many of them haven’t got a legal copy of Windows. The move is part of a long attempt to discourage software piracy, China being the world’s second-largest PC market by units sold.

Furthermore, Microsoft lowered the price of its software in China this month, in a temporary promotion. The price for Microsoft Office is now $30 less for home and student versions. Even if the measure seems a pretty harsh one, there has been little outcry in other parts of the world about the program, which basically blackens your screen’s background. A user can manually change their wallpaper back to their personal preference, but Windows will revert back to the black wallpaper every 60 minutes, posting a message about the counterfeit products. Microsoft says it offers a program under which it will send a free copy of Windows. The only condition is that the customer must prove that he has been fooled by an authentic-looking version of the software.

In the past few years, Microsoft has joined with PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo to install Microsoft applications on computers before sale, which has helped the company fight software piracy, helping its business and sales. The Chinese market is a problem for Microsoft, and that’s because many people are fooled by hackers that sell them counterfeit licenses for Windows.