Piracy Worked For Us, Romania President Tells Gates

Pirated Microsoft software helped Romania to build a vibrant technology industry, Romanian President Traian Basescu told Bill Gates on Thursday.
By Reuters
InformationWeek

Feb 1, 2007 11:01 AM

BUCHAREST, Feb 1 - Pirated Microsoft Corp software helped Romania to build a vibrant technology industry, Romanian President Traian Basescu told the company's co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday. Basescu was meeting the software giant's chairman in Bucharest to celebrate the opening of a Microsoft global technical centre in the Romanian capital.

"Piracy helped the young generation discover computers. It set off the development of the IT industry in Romania," Basescu said during a joint news conference with Gates.

"It helped Romanians improve their creative capacity in the IT industry, which has become famous around the world ... Ten years ago, it was an investment in Romania's friendship with Microsoft and with Bill Gates."

Gates made no comment.....

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