Have you seen those "educational" editions of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT)'s software for sale at your favorite local retailer? These "Student" editions are deeply discounted and are meant for ... students and educational professionals. Some iffy retailers, though, buy these copies from nefarious sources who have purchased the software already at a discount and are pawning it off as the "regular" product to internet retailers. The victim becomes the end-customer, who receives a product without all the features present, since what they have bought is an "educational" edition.

This practice has gone on worldwide and Microsoft continually has policed these activities. In the latest, the software company said this week that it will be taking action against groups that sold copies of Windows and Office discounted for academic use to regular users. In general, more software piracy against Microsoft goes on outside the U.S. (China is a big offender), and this case is no different. Ole' Softie processed nine lawsuits and sent more than 50 letters threatening legal action against groups that operate internationally (some posing as academic resellers in Jordan). The suits were filed in the U.S., however.

The problem is that these "resellers" bought the licenses cheaper than normal versions of the software, which in turn sold the academic products to U.S. resellers (at a discount), who then made heftier margins charging customers full retail (non-academic) prices. Of course, end-customers are not educators (usually), so these unsuspecting consumers ended up with a piece of software that was not licensed to be used in the home (or office). PC software piracy has gotten better with the advent of license checks on PCs over the internet, but where there's illegitimate money to be made, someone will be making it, right?

Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista operating system will have all-new anti-piracy features, according to the software giant. In a move obviously designed to prevent as much theft of the new operating system as possible, Microsoft will add "limited functionality" to Windows Vista. Meaning, if users do not "activate" the software within 30 days of the original installation, Windows Vista will run in a reduced state mode.

The functionality gives customers a sort of grace period to letting Microsoft know that the recently installed copy of Windows Vista is a legitimate copy. This new Microsoft's technology is part of its "Software Protection Platform," which Ole' Softie announced Wednesday. Soon, this new anti-piracy technology will be part of all future versions of Microsoft products.

What is new about this anti-piracy technology from Microsoft? Details are sketchy from what I can tell, but I'll be looking deeper. The "Windows Activation" process that was unveiled as the anti-piracy solution for Windows XP and then versions of Microsoft Office XP and Microsoft Office 2003 was easily thwarted after a very short time -- a fact that I was writing about back then.

Unfortunately, no anti-piracy effort is 100% foolproof, as determined software crackers will blow through just about anything. But, Microsoft should devote as many resources as possible to protecting its intellectual property on Windows Vista. That is, until piracy anti-solutions are deployed in a furious manner.