On a trip to Beijing a decade ago, Bill Gates was asked by a senior government official how much money Microsoft Corp made in China. The official asked the interpreter to double check Gates' reply as he couldn't believe the figure was so low.
It's a problem that hasn't gone away. Indeed, Microsoft's current issues in China conceal a deeper problem for the US software giant — despite the popularity of its Windows operating system and Office suite, few people in emerging markets are willing to pay for legitimate copies.