Individual Software Buyers Left Out In Cold

In the midst of a crack-down on software piracy, criticism is mounting against the tremendously expensive cost of purchasing the original software, with end-users saying that software creators must bring their prices down. As a result of the crack-down, the demand for legitimate software has gone up, and although local retailers have been offering 80-90% discounts to local public and educational organizations, individual purchasers have been hit hard by prices which they say are inflated.

Samsung Electronics has been offering 70% discounts to educational institutions and offices on its Hoonminchungum Office 2000 software, which brings its price down to just W31,241 for such organizations. The general public, however, has been stuck with a W110,000 price tag for the software. Similarly, Microsoft Korea has been offering universities 90-95% discounts on its Windows 98, Office and Visual Studio programs, bringing their prices to the W15,000-54,000 range.

(Hwang Soon-hyun, icarus@chosun.com)