Microsoft’s newest weapon in China piracy fight

NEW HOPE: Microsoft's luck in China could change with the launch of its Surface tablet, which goes on sale online in China at the same time as a handful of other countries. — Reuters

SHANGHAI: In 20 years in China, Microsoft Corp hasn’t had much luck. It is the world’s largest market for PCs and yet with piracy rates as high as 77%, the software company is seeing only a fraction of the revenue it could collect.

That might change with the launch of its Surface tablet, which goes on sale online in China at the same time as a handful of other countries. The Surface is a rare piece of Microsoft hardware, and will run the company’s new Windows 8 operating system.