Microsoft never disclosed Windows source code for localization into
Farsi. We once developed a Farsi version of Windows 3.1 entirely
in-house and shipped it to Iran. We used a vendor for localization but
source bits were never sent to Iran. That product was protected by a
dongle which probably was broken within weeks as you mentioned.
Houman
Microsoft Corporation
-----Original Message-----
From: Roozbeh Pournader [mailto:roozbeh@sharif.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 8:27 AM
To: Unicode List
Cc: Unicode List
Subject: [OT] Localized Persian Windows (was Re: Persian decimal
separator)
On Thu, 16 Nov 2000, Michael (michka) Kaplan wrote:
> This might just be splitting hairs to some and I have no idea how
Microsoft
> feels about this sort of thing, but if a country will not respect my
> copyrights then I myself would not consider shipping my software
there. For
> me it would just be a mutual respect issue. :-)
I agree. I am not sure, but I have heard a story that Microsoft has once
given the source code to their Arabic Windows 3.1 to a company named
"SoftWare Computer" here, and they shipped a Persian version which had a
somehow official sense. They used a dongle to prevent illegal copies,
but
someone broke the code, and illegal copies appeared all over the
country.
We did not have any laws against illegal software copying then, and the
rumors say that Microsoft took out its investment.
The main benefits for Microsoft or other international companies
supporting Persian will be for people in need of Persian software
outside
Iran. There are many many Iranian expatriates all around the world, and
also there are others who want to support these.
> I mean that when the product is imported into Iran, the importance of
> correct NLS info (already obviously high) becomes much higher.
You're certainly right. And that's the reason we want to encourage the
correct Persian support in any kind of software. I have also heard
rumors
about the government sending letters to all big governmental
organizations
asking them to tell about the consequences of accepting the
international
copyright agreement on their organization.
--roozbeh
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